Trigs
by Trigs
Summary: The story of X5-631, and her final meeting with her family. (Completed)(Read and Review please)
1. The begining

All Alone  
  
Alone she sat, watching Krit and Syl talk to each other in a bar in Oklahoma. Jondy, a pretty Blond girl with legs that seemed to go on forever sat next to them. Zane, a tall brown haired Mechanic, was getting drinks. None of them could believe what had happened within the course of a year.  
Zack found them al only a year after the escape, reunited them all and then split them up. Jondy, Tinga, Krit, Syl, Zane, Brin, Ben. They had only been children, sitting in a park trying to act normal. Zack had made them close even when they were apart.  
That one year had been a rollar coaster. First Zack found Max, and tried to get her to leave Seattle, but she wouldn't. Then Brin. Brin was caught. She was one of them by this time. She tried to kill Krit, Syl, Zack and Max. Good news broke the chain when Jace escaped, along with her unborn child. More good news came later, when Ben said he found one of their little sisters, but he wouldn't say who. He was going to bring her to see them all, but then he died. The sister slipped away. Tradgedy then struck Tinga, when the bitch killed her. The last straw was when Max and Zack were caught. Logan had tapped into Manticore and managed to find out that Max was alive, while Zack was dead.  
Syl put her head into Krits shoulder to hide her tears. Knew she shouldn't cry, but she couldn't help it. Krit tried to comfort her, and she managed to raise her head and give a little smile.  
"Do you remember the final time we were all together?" asked Zane as he sat back down, "On the final misson at Manticore? The training Session in the forest?"  
"I do," said Syl, "It was those of us who escaped."  
"It was," said Jondy, "Wasn't it a search and destroy misson?"  
"Yeah. Why do you remember it?" asked Krit.  
"Because, don't you remember what happened on that misson? What happened! Why Ben joined us."  
"I remember Lyedecker yelling."  
"X5-631," said Jondy.  
"You don't remember her name?" asked Zane.  
"Trigs," said Syl, "I don't want to remember her. She didn't make it out. Its easier not to think of her as Trigs, but as X5-631."  
"I was talking to that guy....Max's boyfriend."  
"Logan," said Syl.  
"Yeah. Anyways, he was looking up stuff on the Net, and he found Bens Barcode, and a message that simply read, The Blue Lady is watching you, even if I can't. 631."  
"You think it could be here?"  
"I don't know, either way, she can help us. We need to find her. She always had the advantage over us. You remember her, right? She was a better fighter, but she liked to be alone so much. They never really programed her. She would have come with us if she hadn't been given to the Nomalies."  
*-*-*  
Ten years earlier, in Manticore, Zack, Max, Jondy, Eva and Brin stood at attention waiting for Lyedeckers Speech. Beside them stood Ben, and his partner in Crime, little Trigs. She was a small girl, smaller than most, but she could move faster and for longer periods. Lyedecker always called her a waste, because she didn't like orders. Ever time they reprogramed her, she unprogramed herself.  
Ben put his arm around her shoulders and talked softly to her, trying to get her to promise to behave. She often caused punishment, but no one minded. She was the only one who ever talked back to Lyedecker, the only one who intentionally got them into trouble. She could behave, but she only did that when it was needed.  
Lyedecker walked up and down in front of them, and glowered at Trigs a few times. One of the men hadn't returned, and Lyedecker looked straight at Trigs. Trigs stood up straight and tried to look like a soldier, but couldn't. He walked away again, and then dismissed the children to bed.  
*-*-*  
"So are you going?" asked Ben, looking to Zack and Eva for advice.  
"Tonight," said Zack, "You in?"  
"No," said Ben, "I'm staying here with Trigs."  
"Trigs is staying?" gawked Eva. Eva walked towards the last cot on the wall, and saw the small girl looking at the picture of the blue lady.  
"You're not coming?" asked Eva.  
"I'm a Nomalie, aren't I?" she asked, her big brown eyes staring up into Eva and Zacks.  
"No way!" said Zack, sitting down on the cot next to her.  
"I know where the guard is," she answered, "I killed him. He stepped on the Place where Rave died. That's a holy place. All I could think about was when he was shot."  
"Trigs, you're not a Nomalie!" said Zack, "You're just like us."  
"Then why did I hear Lyedecker say he was thinking of putting me under study. THAT'S what he did to the Nomalies. Hes going to get me."  
"Then come with us!" said Eva, "Outside, theres someone who can make you normal."  
"Make me not a Nomalie?"  
"Yes!" said Ben, "When we get out, we'll all thank the Blue Lady, and she'll make you just like us. If you are a Nomalie, outside, you won't be."  
"I'll go," she said, "You going Ben?"  
"No. I need to stay here and make sure the Blue lady protects everyone here."  
"If I can't go," Trigs said slowly, "Promise me you'll pray to the blue lady for me?"  
"If you can't go, I'll come back and get you out," said Ben, taking Trigs hand. As he did, Lyedecker entered with one of the doctors.  
"Attention!" he yelled. They all scrambled to their places.  
"Yes Sir!" they yelled.  
"X5-631!" he barked.  
"Yes Sir!" she barked.  
"I want to know what happened out in the woods. I found my missing man. He had your knife in his back. It looked like you killed him and then went mad!"  
"NO SIR!" she barked, her hand shaking.  
"X5-631, you have been branded an Anomalie, and are being taken for treatment. Lets go!"  
"Go for me," were the last words heard from Trigs.  
  
  
  
First Chapter of Many. They'll be more. I don't own Dark angel, nor have any claim to any of the Character, except Trigs. DON'T SUE ME!!!  



	2. Eponine

All Alone  
Chapter Two  
Trigs  
  
"Eponine!" yelled someone from across the dingy Bar. The girl who had been staring at the X5's turned her head, shaking her many curls. She was small, only about 5'3, but her hair was long and beautiful. I went down her back, and was in tight ringlets, which she pulled back into a pony tale. She was dressed in camouflage Cargo pants and a black halter-top. She had a large cross-tattooed on her arm. Her eyes were Violet, and seemed to speak volumes without her having to say a word.  
"What Dirk?" she called out angrily.  
"We've got a couple of drunks over by the table your watching. Escort them out please."  
"Why me?"  
"Cause I trust you! NOW 'Ponine!" he yelled, and Ponine shrugged her shoulders, tossed her ponytail and walked.  
"What the hell is that Tattoo on your neck?" asked Ellen, another girl who worked with her at the Blue Angel Bar, which was started by Ponine's friend Ben.  
"Its nothing."  
"Why do you have a barcode on your neck?"  
"Because I'm a genetic enhanced soldier who escaped from a lab."  
"Really?"  
"Ben and I got drunk one night. I'm keeping it to remind me not to drink."  
"Nice," she said, "I'm gonna do that."  
"Why?"  
"Cause it looks cool."  
"So do car crashes, are you gonna get in one of those?"  
"No."  
"Then?"  
"Come on Eponine! Come with me when I get it!"  
"Fine fine."  
"Great!"  
"Do you want me to draw one out for you. You don't want to be able to get scanned and have it say something stupid."  
"Sure!"  
"Okay," said Ponine, and she took a pen and traced out a Bar code.  
"What does it mean?"  
"331450074656."  
"What?"  
"331450074656."  
"Is there a significance?"  
"Yes. It's friend's old number. At my school in Africa, everyone had a student number. That one belonged to a now dead friend, Tinga."  
"I don't want a dead girls number."  
"It's an honour Ellen."  
"Fine fine. Go get rid of the drunks."  
"My pleasure," she said, and effortlessly hopped the bar and walked towards the drunken men.  
*-*-*  
"Excuse me Boys," Eponine said in a sing song voice, "Your getting out of line here. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."  
"Nah WAY!" said one, "Who the hell are you?"  
"Eponine Trigiani. I own this place."  
"You own it my ass. That BEN guy owned it."  
"Ben left. I'm in charge."  
"Make me leave!" said a second one, standing up with his back to the door.  
"Sorry Sir," she said, and with one deft kick, sent him flying out the door.  
"What the hell!" said Ellen, "Ponine?"  
"Just a trick using momentum," she answered, "Anyone else wanna take me on?"  
"Bitch!" said the second drunken guy, and he pulled out a gun. Ponine looked scared for a moment, and then pulled her own out of her holster around her ankle.  
"You don't want to do this. I don't like shooting, but I don't like Guys who SHOOT me either. YOU have a choice. Drop the gun, or I call the police."  
"Where's the owner?" the man bellowed, "Where's Ben?"  
"Ben's gone," said Ponine, "This is my bar."  
"You wouldn't shoot me!" the man taunted, "You don't have the guts."  
"You never know. They said Eva never had guts, and she saved her family. Died for it, but saved them. This is Ben's dream, and you ain't messing with it."  
"Die!" the drunk yelled and shot at Ponine. Jondy jumped from her table and aimed his arm up as Krit took Eponine down to the ground. Jondy kicked the drunken man in the back, and held him till the bouncers took him.  
"Thank you," Eponine said, brushing herself off, "but I could have handled it."  
"You're welcome," said Krit, "How did you kick that guy like that?"  
"Practice. I've been on my own a few years, and I know how to take care of myself. That guy's been messing with Ben's Bar for a while. Ben would kill me if I let his bar go to Hell in a hand-basket."  
"Didn't catch your name," said Jondy.  
"Trigiani. Eponine Trigiani. I'm from Wyoming."  
"I'm Jani, this is Kev, Sylvia, and Zephyr. We're here in town visiting the house of our dead brother. You wouldn't happen to be able to point us to 365 Ralston Street."  
"The apartments next door. Can I ask who died?"  
"His name was Ben."  
"Tall guy, brown hair, Barcode on his neck?" asked Ellen as she and Dirk joined Eponine.  
"Yeah," said Krit, "You know him?"  
"He's dead?" said Dirk, "You SURE?"  
"Yes. He went on a camping trip and drowned."  
"Oh god," said Ellen, her hands shaking, "Ponine, Ben's dead."  
"You knew him?" said Syl.  
"Know him? He was my fiancée, and the father of my child," said Ellen, "Ponine, you said he told you he was going to Seattle to find his family. You SAID he'd be back."  
"I know," she said, "He was. I didn't know, I couldn't, oh god..."  
"Give me the Keys Ellen," said Dirk, "I'll take these people to the apartment."  
"Ben," sobbed Ellen.  
"The Blue Angel Bar is now closing," yelled Eponine, getting up and standing on top of a table.  
"Come on," said Dirk, leading the four X5's away from Ben's sobbing Fiancée, and her familiar friend.  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
"This is Ben's Apartment," said Dirk, taking Jondy, Krit, Syl and Zane into the dingy little place. It was very dark, but homey. A couch stood in the centre of the room, in front of a small TV. A large picture of the Virgin Mary was on the wall, and the Kitchen still had the smells of Dinner in it.  
"Thanks," said Zane, "What we're looking for is anything on what Ben may have said about his little sister."  
"You mean Igen? His little brother. He never found a little sister. Only Igen in Denver. That was the last words we got from him. His computer's in the corner. The address may be on there."  
"You don't know how much this helps us," said Krit. Dirk nodded and backed out of the computer.  
"If you want to know more about Ika, Eponine seemed close to her too."  
"Here," said Syl, "I know we aren't here to find lost Siblings, but if we can find Ika, we ma be able to help Max."  
"Did you find an Address?"  
"Yes. Ika is in Mexico, with Jace and her baby. I've got a phone number."  
"Anything else?" asked Zane.  
"Theres an encrypted one here. Says its for that Eponine girl."  
"Open it!"  
"Can't. I'd need to hack in. I'll ask Eponine about it after."  
"Unless Eponine is not Eponine," said Jondy, "The way she moved. She would be the little sister."  
"Who?" said Krit, "Tam? Alli? Merc?"  
"I don't know. Call Jace. Ask her if any other X5's went Awall."  
"I know who you think it is," said Syl, "You think she's Trigs."  
"What if I do?"  
"Trigs is the last person it could be. Trigs was taken to the Nomalies."  
"If it is her, we'll have a powerful Ally. You know Trigs was a hacker genius, as well as good soldier. If we're going to get Max, Trigs would be useful."  
"And even if that isn't Trigs, I want to know what happened to her," said Zane.  
"Why?" said Krit, "Why all of a sudden do you want to know about Trigs?"  
"Cause Ben's dead! Ben promised her he'd get her out. I'm doing it because Ben would have wanted us to. Eva wanted her to come with us when we went. She SHOULD have come with us."  
"We all have guilt," said Syl, "Zane, don't be like this."  
"You don't understand."  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
"Come ON Zane," said Trigs in the forest. The children were doing an escape and evade misson, and Trigs had been partnered with Brin, Tinga, Igen and Zane. Zack, Max, Ben, Eva, Jack, Jondy, Jace, Krit and Syl were all after them. They'd already gotten Brin, Tinga and Igen, but Trigs refused to go down. If they lost, it ment hours of extra Training. All Trigs and Zane had to do was get to Lyedecker and not be hit with the stun guns that the others had.  
"I can't," said Zane, "Trigs, go on without me."  
"X5-631 will not leave X5 372 behind. It would be too much like a Nomalie. The Nomalies leave their own behind. I am no a Nomalie," she said, picking Zane up and carrying him. They just made it out of the woods when Jondy broke through and shot. Trigs shoved Zane down and was the blast at point blank range. Zane kicked Jondy and tried to pick up Trigs.  
"Get the misson done, then get me!" she yelled, convulsing. Zane bolted forward and saluted Lyedecker, as was the misson end. He turned to get Trigs, but Lyedecker shouted at him to get back in line. Soon the children emerged with the shot children being dragged, still convulsing.  
"You were all caught. You are all dead!" yelled Lyedecker, "X5-372 is the only true soldier among you. I am disgraced. You will all return out here at nineteen hundred hours for extra training. All except Zane. Zane escaped and Evade."  
"Why didn't you say something?" asked Zane as he tried to help Trigs up.  
"Cause I know you would be back for me," she said, "I knew you tried to come back. That's all that mattered. I can handle being left behind. I can't handle the fact you didn't try, but you did."  
  
  
  
I don't own dark Angel. I own Trigs, Ellen, Dirk and Igen. More coming, including more about Trigs life, and the intro of Igen.  



	3. Trigs

Trigs  
  
Eponine entered her own apartment a few hours after she found out Ben was dead. She thought that he might be. Lyedecker had been on his tail for a while. He had snapped. When he left, Eponine was slightly happy. He was not the boy she grew up with. He was different, more free willed, more like a normal person. Eponine didn't want normal. Eponine wanted X5-493, her beloved best friend and storyteller. When she was taken to the Nomolies, he had escaped for her, but he had changed to suit the world. Trigs didn't like that.  
Eponine wondered how long it would take Krit, Syl, Jondy and Zane to realise she was Trigs. She knew it would be less than a few days, so she was ready to leave. She didn't want to face them. She was afraid she would snap too, and she would go off killed everyone she could. She would end up back and Manticore being reprogrammed along with Max and Zack.  
No, she thought to herself, They wouldn't try. They'd just throw me back with all the X2's.  
When X5-631 was declared an Anomaly, Trigs was afraid. She was only eleven years old, and was afraid of the monsters in the basement. They had taken her to a room and tried to reprogram her for months. Each day, they took two steps forward, and three steps back. Trigs tried everything to make it stop. She played along, but they saw through it. She acted crazy, but they saw through that too. In the end, they decided to try a more 'unconventional' approach.  
They locked her in a room with that X2 for two years. The X2 was the monster that Ben had taught her to fear. It was big, and hairy, and it snarled all the time. Trigs screamed for days, until they took her out and explain that if she didn't accept the conditioning, she would be put back in. Trigs accepted it, but quickly unprogramed herself, and was promptly throw back in with the Nomolie.  
She stayed in one corner, cowering in fear at the sight of the great hairy beast. It was all she could do to keep from screaming, which they swore would land her more time in there. All day, she whimpered the names of her siblings. Tinga. Brin. Max. Jondy. Zack. Zane. Ben. Igen. Jace. Jack. Eva. Krit. Syl. They were what kept her going the first few months.  
Then the monster spoke. He looked at her with his big yellow eyes, and said.  
"X2 o45."  
"X5 631."  
"358392047659."  
"270581092584. Trigs."  
"Name?" it asked.  
"I have a name. It's Trigs. Zack named me."  
"Zack?"  
"X5 599."  
"X2 045!"  
"No. It's not the same! You do, however,need a name."  
"Name?"  
"A name. You can't want to be called X2 599."  
"Nomolie."  
"Me too. They can't control me."  
"Nomolie," it said, pointing to itself and then to Trigs.  
"We're two against the world."  
"World?"  
"The world outside Manticore."  
"Manticore. We... In... Manticore. We are soldiers."  
"No. I'm not a soldier. I am a person first."  
"Person?"  
"You know, a person. I like to have fun, to laugh, to play. I don't like fighting."  
"I... Don't... Either Trigs."  
"What's happening to you. You're not the same thing I've been trapped in here with for more than a year, and these are the first intelligent words you've uttered."  
"Drugs. You've... Been... Feeding me those drugs you won't take. They have let me see clearer."  
"Its just Tryptophan. It's to stop my non-existent seizures."  
"Its let me see clearly, and speak."  
"So you're not a crazy monster."  
"Yes. I am... But now I'm a crazy monster that can talk to an intelligent X5."  
"This is so... weird."  
"You think its weird. Its like I've been in a weird fuzzy dream for four years."  
"What year did you go insane?"  
"I was fourteen, so four, I think. That would make it twenty oh seven."  
"About the time Brin saw the Nomolies with Ben."  
"Brin? Ben?"  
"Names. My year, we named each other. I am X5-631, but my friends called me Trigs."  
"Why?"  
"Why are you X2 045?"  
"Because its what the leaders called me."  
"And my friends called me Trigs."  
"This is strange... I'm speaking to another human."  
"It's odd. I have the sudden urge to get the hell out of here."  
And they did. Trigs and X2-045 got out, and got away. No one knew, no one chased them. They got up, and left before anything could be said. As far Manticore knew, X5-631 was dead, as was the Nomolie X2 599. They really did die.  
Only Trigs and Carn made it out of there.  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
"Hello," said a voice on one end of the phone, far away in Mexico.  
"Hello. I'm looking for Jace or Igen."  
"Why? Who is this?"  
"I can't say. Is Jace or Igen there?"  
"Goodbye."  
"Wait!" Jondy cried, "Zack and Max were captured."  
"Who is this?"  
"Who is this?"  
"Jace."  
"Jondy."  
"Jondy, what do you mean Max and Zack were captured."  
"Manticore has them. I'm calling to get you and Igen up here."  
"Jondy, how did Max get caught?"  
"She did something heroicly stupid, and so did Zack."  
"Oh god."  
"We need you, and we need your help. Ben said something about a little sister making it out. We need to know if shes one of the twelve, or if she was one of the ones left behind?"  
"No. No one left behind got out."  
"Zane thinks Ben may have found X5-631."  
"Trigs? No way. Trigs died seven years ago in a fire. The Nomolie killed her."  
"So its not Trigs?"  
"No."  
"How soon can you be here?"  
"I can't. I've got my child. I am not going to fight."  
"What about Igen?"  
"Igen should be in Oklahoma. He was going up to see Ben."  
"Ben's dead. So's Tinga."  
"How?"  
"Ben snapped. Manticore killed Tinga."  
"Damnit."  
"We're going to get Max and Zack and Brin."  
"I'll see if Igen can get someone. He also mentioned a little brother."  
"Who?"  
"Didn't say."  
"He only had a few little brothers. Any X5's go Awall recently?"  
"Creeg. Creeg died in a fire, about three years ago. And Kiri died a few years before. They were all declared Nomolies. "  
"Creeg is dead too."  
"He and Trigs are watching over us from the good place."  
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"Eponine?" asked a voice as Trigs stepped out of the shower and began to make herself breakfast the next morning. Trigs turned to see her roomate, Carn, who went by the name Kent. He looked like Zack. He had the same expression, and way about him. Though he was twenty-six, and she was only twenty one, they got along great. He had been her friend, and her companion, bailing each other out of quite a few problems.  
"Yeah Kent."  
"Those people in the Bar last night?"  
"Krit, Syl, Jondy, and Zane."  
"What about the others?"  
"Tinga, I don't know about. Brin is back at Manticore. Max and Zack are in Manticore too."  
"You think Zane and the others will try to get them out."  
"I know they will."  
"You gonna help?"  
"No."  
  
  
  
Hey hey! More coming. I'm now writing a piece to along with this that explains what happened to Trigs, and how she got out. I'm writing it seperatly because I like my G rating, and I swear in in.  
Read and Review Please. Ideas on what to do would be nice. I like thatg you LIKE trigs, but I need some help.  
  
I doon't own Dark Angel except for Trigs, Igen, Carn, Kiri, and Renz. Don't steal them either, or I'll stop writing... No I won't, but you'll make me CRY!!!  



	4. Trigs and her sistah

All Alone  
Chapter four  
Igen speaks  
  
  
  
Igen contacted Krit as soon as he got into Oklahoma. He knew Krit was heading there because Jace had called him, and he knew he needed to talk to him. He knew he needed to tell Krit to Leave Eponine alone. He knew that if Eponine knew that Max and Zack were back at Manticore, she would either try to get them out, or try to kill the rest of the X5's.  
  
Igen Knew that Trigs would not take the death of Ben lightly. If she knew about Tinga, she would be even more shocked. Trigs was a little bit odd, and did not take things like this lightly. She would storm Manticore if she had to, with her two weirdoes on either side.  
  
Carn and Renz were not what Igen thought of as normal. Why his little sister considered her best friend to be that good for nothing X4 was beyond Igen. Renz was brash, and mean, and not anything like what any of the X series should be like. Then again, neither was Trigs.  
  
Igen didn't like thinking about Carn. Carn scared him. Carn was the Nomolie in the basement, and he was what he was always taught to fear by Ben, who was dead. Igen had to keep reminding himself that. Ben and Tinga were dead. Max and Zack were caught. Brin was recaptured. Carn was screwing his sister.  
  
Igen really hated knowing that Carn was sleeping with Trigs. He wished that Ben had never told him. Trigs didn't talk about it, and Carn never seemed like anything more than a friend, but Ben had told him the two of them had been sleeping together since Trigs had been fourteen, and in heat for the first time. It still bothered him, even if it had been a lie to make him leave Carn alone, thought up by Ben.  
  
Krit walked into the Alley with Syl at his side. Both were packing heat, Igen could tell. Neither of them was stupid enough to go without them. They walked up to in front of him and looked him in the eye, making sure he was their little brother.  
"Igen? Igen, is that you?" asked Syl.  
"Hey little sister," he said, throwing his arms around Syl's neck. Syl hugged him tightly, then let Krit have his hug.  
"It's good to see you Igen," said Krit, "Long time no see. How come you never contacted us before."  
"I didn't need to. I've been fine on my own for the past years. Zack needs us, so I will go."  
"Max needs us. Zack is dead."  
"Zack isn't dead," said Igen, "I've seen him. He's not dead."  
"And where did you get this information?"  
"Simple. One of my little sisters told me."  
"Who?"  
"Kiri?" asked Syl, praying her sister was alive.  
"Not Kiri. She is, however, alive. And I know that the Renfrew bitch has her. She'll be here tomorrow if all goes well. For now, round up the troops, lets head to Wyoming."  
"That's it? You know one of our sisters is alive, and you aren't going to help us?"  
"No. I promised her. She doesn't want to see you guys. She wants to be left alone."  
"It's hard when she's a genetically altered soldier with a barcode on her neck."  
"No one knows she's alive. Only me, Ben and Tinga knew. There was more than one reason they killed Tinga."  
"Tinga couldn't have known. She would have told Zack."  
"If she wants to see us, she'll come. As far as I know, she'll go get Kiri and then leave for her home in Toronto."  
"Where is Kiri?"  
"The military base outside town. Can you please get Jondy and Zane so we can go?"  
"Yeah," said Syl, picking up her cell phone and calling her two siblings.  
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"Tell me again why I'm here?" asked Renz as he; Carn and Trigs stood outside the large military compound.  
"Because if Manticore shows up, We need someone to watch," explained Trigs.  
"So why don't I go in with you, and Carn stays out here?"  
"Because," said Carn, "You have a tendency to get freaked out at these medical things. Trigs and I can handle it."  
"I understand," said Renz, "But after, I get to talk to the hot red head?"  
"Jondy? Yes," said Carn.  
"No," said Trigs, "We're keeping Kiri sedated, and just giving her to Igen, and high tailing it to Toronto. I don't want to see them all."  
"What about Zack and Max?"  
"They left me behind."  
"And Brin?"  
"She's one of them."  
"Whatever," said Carn, "Shall we rescue your sister?"  
"I'm going too," said Renz, "I'm sick of you two getting all the credit."  
"What credit?" asked Trigs.  
"Trust me," he said, and he jumped the fence. Trigs and Carn exchanged an exasperated look, and then followed him into the dark compound.  
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Brin was still in shock from when they found her sister Max. As she walked around the Oklahoma Military base, she wondered how many more of her siblings would be found and brought home to her. Now Kiri was back, and she could be retrained.  
Brin was told Kiri had been taken from Manticore by one of the rogue X5's, but Brin knew that it had been an X4. All the X5's did. The X series that took Kiri had been careless in the fire he started to make it look like she died. An X5 would never do that.  
Brin looked down on her beautiful little sister. Kiri was a tall girl with long blond hair, but she had dyed it blue. Brin knew that Manticore would fix it as soon as they could. Then Kiri, and her, and Max could bring home their other sibling.  
Refrew sidled in the door as Brin touched the face of her sister. Renfrew smiled, then walked over and stood next to Brin.  
"It's good to see her home," she said, "Now you have two sisters back. I also have a reading on a third one. Another 'dead' X5."  
"Really," said a voice from behind Renfrew. Renfrew spun around to look down the barrel of a sawed off shotgun held by a large older man. Brin moved, but was restrained by a second man. The third of the intruders, walked forward, and revealed she was carrying a small switchblade.  
"Hello," said the third, smiling cruelly, "Sorry to intrude, but you have my sister."  
"She's my sister!" yelled Brin, trying to struggle, but Carn had a strong lock on her arms, and the X2 series were much stronger than X5's.  
"Brin?" said Trigs, looking into her sisters eyes, "Brin, is that you?"  
"I am an X5. Brin is gone."  
"I knew an X5 once. She was your sister. X5 631?"  
"I knew her."  
"Maybe one day, you'll fight her Brin."  
"Let me fight her. If I win, she comes back to Manticore. If not, I'll let her go."  
"Not today Brin," Trigs answered, cutting the restraints that held Kiri, Trigs adored little sister.  
"You are not a soldier!" she yelled, "Who are you?"  
"I'm what Ben always told us was bad. I'm a Nomolie Brin. I'm the monster in the basement. I got out of there, and one day, I till bring you out."  
"No," she said as Trigs took out her taser and used it on Brin, shocking her until she fell into unconsciousness.  
"And as for you," Trigs said, "I owe you. I owe you for everything you put me through."  
"Leave her," said Renz, "Your sisters have breathing issues. We need to get out of here."  
"Let me break her arm," said Trigs, "Like she did to me when I was a child."  
"Now now X5," said Renfrew.  
"Shut up!" screamed Trigs, taking the switchblade and sinking it into Renfrews arm before picking up Kiri and heading for the door.  
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"Lets go lets go!" yelled Renz as the they ran for the perimiter. Gunshots rang out, but they dodged them easily. Carn took Kiri and jumped the fence, and was followed by Renz. Trigs looked back once and jumped, but it was too late. The bullet entered her shoulder, going straight through. She got over the fence, and managed to land before falling forward in pain.  
"Shit," said Carn, grabbing Trigs and running for their car. Renz followed him, carrying Kiri in his arms. Carn slid Trigs upright into the back seat, and Renz lay Kiri on the seat with her head on Trigs lap.  
"Where too?" asked Carn.  
"You know the Wyoming?"  
"Trigs, can you last until Wyoming?"  
"Don't worry about me. We need to save them."  
"Who?" asked Renz.  
"Brin and Max."  
"And Zack?"  
"I don't care about Zack. I need to help Brin."  
"Can you last until Wyoming?" asked Carn again, worry creeping unadulterated into his voice.  
"Yes. Theres some gauze and a needle and thread under your seat Renz. Give it here. I'll stitch myself up, and clean the wound. I'll last until Wyoming. Jondy was a nurse. She can help me."  
"So we'll see your siblings."  
"Yes. I want to forget them, but I can't. Not until they're all free."  
  
  
I don't own Dark Angel Sadly. I own Trigs, Igen, Kiri, Renz and Carn. Don't steal them!  
  
REVIEW PLEASE!!!!!! Any idea about where to go with this would be helpful  



	5. The long ride

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Trigs returns.

The trip to Wyoming was made in silence. Carn and Renz were shocked at their friend. Trigs had told them she had no feelings for her sisters, yet here she was, with her baby sister's head on her lap. She was stroking Kiri's hair, her slim fingers tracing the fine curls of her hair. She had a look in her eyes they had never seen before, a look of love and affection, a look of longing.

"Ben's dead," said Renz when they reached the state line for Wyoming, "You okay?"

"Yeah," said Trigs, "I'm as okay as I can be. I know what I now have to do."

"You mean we're not going to dump her and go to Canada?"

"No. That's something Zack would do. I am not Zack. I'm Trigs. I'm going to get Brin out of there."  
"What about your siblings, Max and Zack? Igen said they were in there."  
"You help them Carn. Renz and I will go get Brin."

"The X5 we just fought?"  
"Yes."

"Oh fun," said Carn, turning the wheel onto the small back road only a few miles from Manticore.

"How's your shoulder?" asked Renz.

"For once, I thank Renfro," she answered, "All those drugs she gave me seem to have improved my immune system to a point where I no longer need to be stitched."

"It's healed?" asked Carn.

"Yeah. She did say my potential would be reached at about twenty-two. I guess this is one of the things she did to me."

"Well it's a blessing in disguise."

"It hurts, but I think I could still take down Brin with it."

"Trigs, you were shot. You're good, but not a god."

"I said I can take her down with this. Now give me those smelling salts so I can get Kiri up, then get out."

"Trigs, I'm not going to let you kill yourself."

"Carn, you can't stop me."

"Trigs, we don't know what she's done to you. That time she got you back Trigs, you know I worry."

"Don't worry about me. I'm a soldier. If I die, big deal."

"If you die, I lose the woman I love. I watched my family die when I was fourteen, Trigs. I won't lose you too."

"Carn, trust me."

"Isn't that was Ben said when he left us and said he was going to come back. Isn't that what Tinga said when she said she was going to get her son and Husband."

"This is no time to be quarreling," said Renz, "Trigs, unless you want to see your siblings, get out of the car now!"

"I bounce," said Trigs, glaring at Carn and jumping from the moving car, rolling easily and dashing into the woods. Renz and Carn knew she would follow them, and watch from the trees outside the house. They knew she wouldn't be caught. Trigs was like that.

"Why do you do that?" asked Renz, "You and her quarrel worse than I did with my siblings."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You love her, she loves you. WHY DON'T YOU GET ALONG."

"Where am I?" asked a groggy Kiri from the backseat.

"We're friends," said Renz instantly, "We're taking you to Igen."

"Who are you?"  
"We just got you away from Brin and Renfro."  
"I need to get to the others. They've got Max and Zack."

"We know. They know. You're going to be there in a few minutes."

"How long have I been out?"  
"We don't know. You were out cold in that backseat for hours."  
"I had a dream."  
"A dream?"  
"My sister was here. She had long red hair and violet eyes."

"Nope. No one was here. Just us two X series."

"X series?"  
"I'm X4-237. Renz. This is my friend Carn."

"I'm X5 437."

"Kiri. We know."

"How did you get me out? Brin caught me, she beat me."

"We're going to get her out of there. Me and Carn are going to get her and bring her back to her X5 family."  
"You think you can take down Brin? Which of my siblings have you been talking too?"

"Mostly Ben. Carn's spoken to Igen a few times. Tinga talked to us a few times."

"And yet never Zack?"  
"Zack's back in Manticore."

"I know. Brin told me, and she threw off my concentration. It's how she caught me."

"We're almost to the building. Carn'll carry you in."

"Who's there?"

"Jondy, Syl, Krit, Zane, Igen, and someone neither of us want to see."

"Who?" she asked, sitting up and looking ahead.

"Lyedecker. He's on your side now."

"Our side you mean."

"Carn and I have our own agenda. We aren't X5's, and we don't need to get mixed up in this. Ben was our friend, and we'll get Brin out for him."  
"He died too soon."

"And so will Max and Zack and Brin if we don't help them Kiri."

"I'll do it, but there are people who need more saving than Max and Zack."

"Like who?"

"Like my little sister Trigsie."

"Trigsie?"

"She's locked in the basement with the Nomolies."

"She's dead," said Renz, "We knew her. X5-631 died a few years back."

"Trigs isn't dead. I saw Renfro take her a few years ago."

"Yes, and she died, but keep it quiet. No one else knows she lived past the fire, including Lyedecker."

"I won't trust him."

"We don't either, but we have to. We have to get Brin, and you need your CO back."

"Fine!"

"We're here," said Carn, stopping the car, and getting out, stretching in the moonlight before going around and picking up Kiri. Renz jumped out of the hummer and walked towards the small house, his even footsteps the only sound in the darkness. Renz was cautious, even though he knew it was safe. The thought of Lyedecker, and all the things Trigs had told him about the man, scared him. He wondered why he was scared, considering her could snap Lyedecker's neck in an instant, but he realized it was because it was how he was. He was authority, and he was trained to fear authority.

"Kiri!' came a loud call. Jondy, the pretty girl from the bar, came racing across the ground to where Carn held her. She took her weak sister, and hugged her tightly. Carn moved forward and walked into the cabin alongside Renz with no afterthought. He was trained to forget emotions, he was a soldier.

He had always been a soldier, but Trigs made him a person.

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"It's murder to go back in there," said Lyedecker to Logan and Igen and Zane, both of whom were sitting in the back room of the safe house. Syl had been with them, but had left when Jondy called her.

"We need to save Max," insisted Logan.

"Not at the expense of our lives!" said Lyedecker; "Anyone with half a mind would not go back in there."

"That's why you've got reinforcements like me and Carn," said Renz, walking into the back room with Carn right behind him.

"Who's this?" asked Logan, looking to the older men.

"Friends," said Igen, looking happy to see Renz, and almost not unhappy to see Carn at the same time.

"Friends?" said Lyedecker, "Why friends? We're going into a war."

"And both of us have seen war," said Renz, "We were trained to fight."

"And as much as I hate you," said Carn, "You always taught me that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Renz and I promised to get Brin out, and we'll do it, even if we have to pair up with you."

"Who are these people?" asked Logan and Zane at the same time.

"These two just broke Kiri out of Renfro's grasp. This is X4 237, Renz and his partner Carn."

"He's an X series too," said Renz, "He just doesn't like to talk."

"He's an X2," said Lyedecker, "Why are you helping us?"

"We promised we'd free Brin," said Renz, "And we know how."

"It's suicide," said Lyedecker.

"So is letting them reprogram Max and Zack. Zack knows where everyone is, and how he or she moves. It would be like locking someone in a room with someone mentally unstable."

"Like I did to Trigs," said Lyedecker, "X2 045."

"Sir."

"You're dead."

"Only X5 631 died in that fire. Renz and I got away. I became sane when Renfro stopped giving me those drugs."

"The drugs?" said Logan, "Explain this to me again, from the beginning."

"I'd like to hear this," said Lyedecker, "Although I wouldn't trust these two. One's a raving Lunatic who was taken away for being delusional, while the other was a monster."

"You ever wonder why the X2's went mad only after Renfro took us over. She tried to mess with us, and ended up destroying our minds."

"She did it to me too," said Renz, looking angrily at Lyedecker as Jondy, Kiri, Syl and Krit walked to the doorway.

"And she did it to Trigs. She made X5 631 into something better than the X7's. She was faster, strong, smarter, sturdier, better than the X7's. She resisted conditioning, as you know, and Renfro assumed she must be just a deviant. That's why she went so nuts so quickly," explained Carn.

"Trigs wasn't a Nomolie?" asked Kiri.

"Never," said Carn, "And I'm afraid she'll do to X5 734 what she did to X5 631, and I don't want to deal with a pumped up Brin."

"More reasons for going in," said Logan, "I think I can hack into the files again, so I'll take care of security. You guys figure out the plan. I think I need some fresh air."

"Kay Logan," said Jondy, smiling as he walked slowly out of the room. Max being caught had taken its toll on him. He was very depressed, and moody.

"I thought she said," whispered Igen to Renz, who smacked the X5 upside the head.

"She's out of her mind right now. She's fresh out of heat, one brother's dead, her favourite sister's dead, one sister is captured, one brother is captured, and her other sister just tried to kill her. Not to mention the fact she's not all there in the first place. I think she has a right to want to be on her own."

"We need her."

"She'll be there for you. She's the one who'll be getting Brin. Carn and I will just be her support."

"Fine."

"She'll be there for you guys."

"Did Kiri?"

"No. Kiri doesn't know she's alive. She's likely outside watching us now."

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Logan sat alone outside. He had walked far enough away that the building couldn't see him, and he couldn't see it. He didn't want to see them. He was sick of Manticore, and X5's, and Lyedecker and war. He wanted Max back. Max and only Max.

"This shattered dream I cannot justify. We're gonna scream until we're statisfied. What we waiting for? We've got the right to be angry? When theres no where we can run to anymore," sang a voice from beyond where Logan stood.

"Who's there?" he asked, the words seeming awfully familer.

"We can't afford to be innocent. Stand up and face the enemy. It's a do or die situation we will be invincible."

"Who's there?"

"And with the power of convicition, there is no sacrifice. It's a do or die situation we will be invincible."

"I'm coming over," he said, and he walked forward. He caught a glimpse of something backflipping into the trees, and nothing. He figured that it might have just been the wind, or maybe he wanted to see Max too badly. He remembered her telling him the story of the sister who sang, but he couldn't remember exactly who it was, or what the kids name was. He remembered the Max claimed she couldn't sing, that it wasn't in her genes, and that reminded Logan that she wasn't perfect, just perfect for him.

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Up in her tree, Trigs watched sadly as Max's boyfriend walked sadly away. She scolded herself for singing, and made a promise then to bring back Max for Logan.

Sorry it took a while

I like reviews. Please give me ideas!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't own dark angel! I own a few of these characters, but that's it


	6. Revalations

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The fight for Max, Zack and Brin

Max sat alone in the infirmary, cursing the way Manticore made her. It had only been a month since she was caught, and she was ready to be re-indoctrinated. She looked around the room, and remembered that she had been in this room before, sitting there with her sisters, waiting to hear about some tests, waiting to find out if their little sister Kiri would live. She was only seven years old at the time, but she remembered it clearly

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All the girls had been told to go wait in that room to find out if something was wrong with Kiri. Lyedecker was trying to make the girls he felt were in jeopardy spend time with the ones he trusted. He trusted Max, Eva, Brin and Jondy. It was Tinga, Kiri, Trigs and Syl he worried about. When the eight of them were together, her felt safe.

Kiri had been shot. She attacked a tactical officer, and was seemingly unprovoked. Max worried about her baby sister. She seemed a little wild, a little abnormal. She worried she would be taken and given to the Nomolies. Max loved Kiri, she loved all her sisters, but she was afraid of Kiri when she did stuff like this.

Lyedecker entered after about ten minutes of the girls standing there waiting. He snapped his fingers and they all jumped to attention, all but Trigs, who casually took her position.

"X5 437 will be fine. Does anyone know why she did this?" he asked coldly.

"Sir no sir," they barked.

"I think you may, and you don't want to get her in trouble, don't you X5-631."

"No sir!" barked Trigs, stepping forward.

"I know you know. He let the dog attack your partner. You've been influencing her."

"I did not tell her to attack the officer."

"DO not lie to me."

"I did not tell her to attack the officer. I said that it was not right, that he should not have done that since we were on task with out mission. X5 437 seemingly acted under my orders."

"Then you take the blame."

"Yes sir."  
"Tonight, you will be punished, in front of X5 437 so that she may learn the same lesson as you."

"Yes sir!"

"Go and see her," said Lyedecker, "And X5 452."

"Yes sir?" said Max.

"Tell X5 437 of her sisters sacrifice."

"Yes sir," said Max, and the girls tromped into the room that Kiri was in. Kiri was hooked up to an IV, and was pale, but other than that she looked okay.

"Kiri," said Trigs, rushing to her sister.

"I heard. Trigs, you know he said I was dumb."

"He'll believe me. He trusts us over those officers."

"Trigs, he's gonna hurt you."  
"No, he's not Kiri. He can't hurt me. I'm strong. I'm gonna get out of here someday, and I'll show him I am better than him."

"I've never been here," said Jondy, looking around.

"They've tied me up in here a few times," said Trigs, looking around. The girls watched as their sister, the adventurous Trigs, the one who always was the first in, and the last out, of any situation, opened her mouth, and began to say words, but altered the tone with every word.

"We can't afford to be innocent, Stand up and face the enemy, it's a do or die situation, we will be invincible."

"Trigs?" asked Eva, "What's that you're doing?"  
"I'm singing. When I was in here before, the Janitor came in. You know the one who gave us the blue lady. He was listening to a radio, but the words on it came out in different pitches. It was wonderful. He told me it's called Music. He said it's a shame we don't have music."

"Music?" Said Jondy; "It sounds good."

"Beautiful. The word is beautiful," Trigs repeated.

"Beautiful?" said Max.

"Beautiful," said Trigs, "It's a new word."

"Where do you get all these words?" asked Eva.

"My friend."  
"Who?" asked Tinga.

"I can't say."

"Trigs?"

"She told me if I told, she'll have to go away."

"Trigsie?" asked Tinga, using the name that Trigs only let Ben call her.

"No. One day, when we're in the good place, I'll tell you about it."

"Trigs, I think we should go," said Max, "Lyedecker said that we should head back after."

"Ben's going to want to go to the high place," said Kiri, "Talk to the blue lady for me?"

"I can do better," said Trigs.

"How?" asked Brin, in awe of her older sister.

"Well baby sisters," said Trigs, a glint of mischief because of them that she was the youngest, next to Brin, Max, Jondy and Krit, "I think the blue lady would like something Angelic!"

"Angelic?" asked Eva, "Trigs, your words get weirder and weirder."

"Angelic, a synonym for Beautiful. Having to do with Angels."

"What's an Angel?" asked Max.

"She's making it up," said Eva.

"No I'm not!" insisted Trigs; "Did you ever wonder what happens to people when they die?"

"They go away," said Eva.

"Where do they go?"

"To the graveyard."

"That's where their bodies go. Where does their mind go? When Zane shot Peeps, where did Peeps go? Where did her mind go? Where did her personality go?"

"I don't know," said Eva, looking bewildered at her sister.

"The good place!" said Tinga in a voice of reverence.

"Yes! Exactly! The good place, and in the good place, we're not soldiers, we're angels. Angels are like back up soldiers. They watch over you, but you can't see them. Their bodies are done, but their mind, their brain, their spirit, their soul, it goes to the good place as an angel. If something seems angelic, it's beautiful and wonderful."

"So what are you going to give the blue lady?" asked Jondy.

"A song. A piece of music I made up. It will make her happy, and she'll protect us."

"Really?" asked Kiri.

"She'll always protect us, as long as we thank her. I'm not great at talking to her, so I'll sing."

"You're so weird Trigs," said Eva as the girls left. That night, Trigs sang to the Blue Lady, and Kiri got better. From then on, Trigs sang when they went to the high place. Max always loved Trigs voice, and she had cried when they took her away.

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It was Renfro's voice that sadly brought Max back to reality. Renfro was ordering people around like a crazy woman, the tone of her voice was the same as it had been when Max tried to slit her wrists. Something was wrong. Someone was doing something bad. Max hoped and prayed it was Logan, but she knew Logan didn't stand a chance.

Renfro threw open the door to Max's cell, and slammed it back shut. It muted the sounds of screams slightly, but the sound of a neck cracking had become familiar to Max, and she recognized it instantly. Someone was in there for her.

"Which of them has red hair!" shouted a frantic soldier before the sound of a cracking neck silenced him.

"You think you're siblings are going to get you out?" asked Renfro, "No way."

"They'll get me, and kill you," she said, "For letting Zack die."  
"No, they won't," she said, slamming a needle into Max's Leg.

"What are you doing?"

"If I can't have you, no one will," she said, then ducked out of the cell, "Get X5 599 and give him the drugs too!"

"X5 599?" said Max.

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"What the hell is going on?" asked Logan into the Mike as Jondy, Krit, Syl, Zane and Kiri entered the compound.

"Someone's causing a ruckus!" said Igen, sitting next to Carn.

"She's doing her job," Carn whispered to Igen.

"Syl, Brin's catching up to you!" Logan shouted.

"Escape and Evade, ESCAPE AND EVADE!" said Syl, bounding out of the way of her sister, who missed her completely.

"Max is in room 452… What the hell? That's two! Zane, Jondy, head due south. In room 599, Zack."

"Zack?" said Igen, peering into the screen.

"Are you sure?" asked Jondy.

"Yes!" said Logan.

"Where's Brin gone?" asked Lyedecker, trying frantically to figure it out.

"I've got something over the radio," said Carn, "The channel Brin is using. A girl is singing, on the roof?"

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Brin climbed up the drainpipe alone. She left her officers, because she had bigger fish to catch. She knew that someone was on the roof. Likely an X5. Maybe Kiri, or Jondy! If she caught them, Renfro would be proud of her, and then maybe she would tell Brin what a good job she's done, instead of mourning the loss of 'her' X5.

Brin walked out onto the roof, cautious of what was going on around her. Someone was on the roof. She was standing where the altar to the Blue Lady used to stand, looking sad. Her hair, long and red dangled in curls, begging to be cut back. Brin knew that she was better then the escapees, that she could take her.

"Brin," the girl said, "I knew you'd come. I knew you'd want to find me."

"I want to bring you home little sister."

"You can't. You know they'd throw me back with the Nomolies."

"No. They don't do that."

"They did it to me Brin, and I think she'll do it to you."

"No way Jondy."

"Jondy?" the girl said, amusement thick in her voice, "You think I'm Jondy now do you? I am not Jondy Brin. Jondy was always weaker than we were. We were faster, and stronger, but she chose me Brin. I was the study, and you've never forgiven me for it."

"No. You can't be. You're dead. Zack said you're dead. Corgen said you're dead."

"Zack and Corgen don't know Brin. I said I'd give you the chance to fight X5 631 one more time, for freedom, and now I offer it."

"You want to fight me?"  
"No, but I know you won't let me go until I do."

"Then fight!" she shouted, kicking Trigs hard in the stomach. Trigs flew back, and landed on the corner of the building. Shaking her long curls, she straightened up, and made her small pale hands into Fists. Stepping back, she assumed the fighting stance Lyedecker had taught her so long ago.

"Brin, I don't want to hurt you!"

"You won't," Trigs answered, punching and kicking Brin as hard as she could, trying to force her sister into a wall, knowing Brin would be weak against a wall. Trigs knew her sister's weaknesses.

"Just come home."

"To be made into a drone?"  
"To be made a soldier."

"No Brin. I will not!"

"Please!" said Brin, as Trigs placed one POWERFUL kick to her face, rendering her unconscious. Trigs moved up next to her sister, and knelt down in front of her.

"You have Brin's body, but we'll get her soul back."

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Syl and Krit stood in the woods outside Manticore waiting for the mysterious girl that had caused all the ruckus. They had a feeling that she was an unfriendly, so they waited. They had got Max, and Zack, but they were both sick and weak. Lyedecker said they were in trouble, that they were very sick. Syl didn't want to be there. Carn, the X2 was trying to figure out what had happened, but the disease baffled even him, an X2 trained to be a medic.

The footsteps through the woods made Krit and Syl jump, but it was the voice that let them rest. The calming, familiar voice. The voice that sang to the Blue lady every night for years. The voice that sang the same familiar song. With all of their training, all they had been through, the voice of their young, wise beyond her year's sister was what calmed them.

"A touch of reality. A heart full of Mystery. Time stand sin my way, but I won't let it conquer me," she sang, "I wish you'd try a little harder to see things in my life. Maybe then you'd see things clearer."

"You don't get the message. Should I spell it out for you? Show me you're there you me you care," whispered Syl.

"You don't get the message. Should I spell it out for you? Show me you're there you me you care," Trigs said quietly, dragging the limp body that was Brin along behind her. Her red hair was let loose, and flowed down her back, mixing with the blood from her shoulder, where she had obviously been shot again.

"Who's there?" asked Krit, taking his gun out and holding it out.

"Did you retrieve X5 599?" Trigs asked, looking straight into Krit's eyes. Her face was bloody, but she was unmistakably Trigsie.

"Trigsie…" said Syl, rushing to her sister, but Trigs stood firm and didn't even bat an eye.

"Did you retrieve X5 599?"

"Yes," said Krit, "And Max."

"X5 452. Good. Were either of them sick?"

"Yes. They're both weak."

"Renfro's poisoned them. They need blood. X5 blood. Tell Lyedecker it's the same poison she tested on X5 631."

"Trigs, what's wrong?" asked Syl.

"Take Brin with you. I just knocked her out. I have to go back."

"Trigs!" said Syl, "Why?"  
"Do you remember my special friend when I was a child? The one who taught me all the stuff I understood, but you didn't. I need to go see them again."

"Are you coming to see us?"  
"No. I can't. Not yet."

"Trigsie, we're your family."

"I am on the run. More than you. I am being tracked as we speak by someone who doesn't care about you, or Kiri, or any of the other X5. She wants me, and only me. If I came with you, I would be weak. I need to go see my friend. Now."

"Okay," said Krit, "Can we tell them you're alive?"  
"Tell Lyedecker if Max and Zack take a turn for the worst. Renz and Carn know."

"Okay," said Krit, "As long as I get a hug. I've missed you Big sister."

"Me too little sister," said Syl. Trigs paused for a moment, then hugged Syl, then Krit.

"Now go! Take Brin. Lyedecker should be able to reprogram her."

"Fine," said Krit, taking Brin over his shoulder and dragging Syl. He took one last look at his sister, tall, thin, with long red curls. He noticed a resemblance to Eponine, the girl from the bar, but Eponine had had shorter hair, and had brown eyes. Still, the resemblance was striking. He looked back, but Trigs had gone.

"Why did you let her go?" said Syl.

"I remember her as different than us. Her family was Tinga and Ben. When she's ready, she'll come back."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I remember her well."

"Lets get Brin home."

*+*+*+*+*+**+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Trigs entered the Manticore compound a second time as quietly as the first. She slid down the halls silently, and entered the old office she used to play in as a child. She was three when she was singled out. One of the doctors thought she was special and thought she showed more promise than any of them, even X5 599.

At first her friend only talked to her, let her speak what she thought, when she thought it. Then she gave her pills, like the ones she got at meals, only these made her stronger, and smarter. Trigs found out when she was twelve that these drugs made her mind stronger and were what allowed her to resist the conditioning. It was her special friend that made her a Nomolie, and a freak.

*+*+*+*+*+**+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

"So did you finish the work I gave you?" asked Trigs' friend.

"Yes Penny," Trigs said, her voice soft.

"Great," she said, "So how was your mission. Did you do well."

"Yes Ma'am. I did."

"That's great."

"And last night, we stayed up late and…" Trigs said, then stopped realizing her mistake.

"You did."

"Yes."

"I won't tell Lyedecker if you tell me what happened."

"We decided that we don't like being called X5 whatever number it is."

"What?" said Penny, "Why?"

"Because we're people," she said, drawing a picture of a truck on a piece of paper.

"So what do you want to be called?"

"We have names now Penny. We're not just the X5's. We're people, with names."

"What's X5 599's name?"

"He's Zack. X5 452 is Max. X5 743, her name is Brin. X5 656 is Tinga. X5 493 is Igen. X5 604 is Eva. X5 598 is Eva. X5 464 is Jack. X5 493 is Ben. X5 437 is Kiri."

"What about you?"

"I'm Trigs."

"Trigs?"  
"Zack said I have the fastest shot out of all of us. I have a good Trigger, so I call myself Trigs."

"Interesting."

"Penny?"  
"Yes Trigs."

"Can I ask you about X5 456."

"Of course."

"We called her Peeps. She died, because of that crow. Where is she now?"

"She's in the graveyard Trigs."

"No. That's her body. Where's her mind?"

"Her mind?"

"The part of her that makes her, her. The part of her that makes her different."

"Why?"

"Because I want to know. You said as long as I don't tell Lyedecker about this, I may ask you anything," Trigs said, looking up at Penny with big violet eyes, "Where did her mind go."

"Trigs, I don't know if I should be telling you this. I could be punished."

"Please Penny. I need to know."

"Trigs, this is not right. You shouldn't be asking these questions. It doesn't concern you."

"But it does Penny. I miss my sister. Peeps and I were sisters. She and I used to go up to the high place and hear Ben preach."

"Peeps is gone to heaven. It's a wonderful place, full of nothing but good."

"The good place. But her body doesn't go, so how does her mind?"

"Everyone who is different from other people has something called a soul. A soul is why everyone is different. It's what makes us people."

"Do the Nomolies have souls?"

"Yes."

"Okay," Trigs said, "Can we listen to some music now?"

"Okay," Penny said, and she wrote down quickly everything Trigs asked. She knew one day; she would be able to be the boss, if she could turn a four-year-old into a philosopher.

*+*+*+*+*+**+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Alone in the dark room, Trigs tried to find the files on Max, to figure out what Renfro had done to her. She rifled through the files, and came across something she never expected to see. It was Penny's journal. The little black book Penny had always written in when she had been talking. Trigs took the book, and continued. She found the files, and found that Zack and Max had been given a small disease. They would be weakened for up to three months. It meant that Trigs would need to guard Max and Zack while the recovered.

Renfro walked into the office as Trigs got to the window.

"I knew you'd come back," she said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"I can't believe you're here. You are not worthy of this place."

"I go here because I am the best, X5 631."

"You were nothing when I was here."

"You just don't remember me. Read that journal. I knew you'd find it."

"This belongs to Penny, a doctor who saved my life."

"And made you into the Nomolie you are."

"How do you know?"  
"I was once a go getting doctor. I know what Penny did to you. She regrets it.  
"Why?"  
"Because Penny started at this place as a birthmother. She gave birth to two of the X5's. A little girl and a little boy. Both showed promise. One was X5 599. He turned out to be a wonderful leader."

"The other turned out to be Nomolie. She was a disappointment. Penny hates her now. She's willing to forgive X5 631 if she comes back and forgets about being Trigs."

"She wouldn't want me back."

"You're right. She wants you dead. You were the one who started the rebellion. At four years old, you wanted to know about philosophy and art and beauty, things X5's weren't supposed to be told about."

"I was a person. I wanted to know about what normal people thought about."

"You were the first to realize you were more than a soldier."

"All the drugs Penny gave me did that."

"You were a Nomolie."

"You don't understand. She gave me life. She made me what I am today. I'm not like the other X5's. I don't hate Manticore. Manticore gave me so much. It gave me life. It gave me the skills I need to survive."

"Then come home."

"It didn't give me a home."

"It could, if you were reprogrammed."

"You know you can't reprogram me," Trigs said, sitting on the edge of the desk, looking almost comfortable around the woman who murdered Tinga. On Renfro's desk, beneath all the clutter, was a small framed Portrait of a young soldier wearing fatigues, holding a backpack, looking up at the camera.

"Sadly, I do know," said Renfro, "But you don't have to be reprogrammed. You could just come work here. I could give you assignments undercover."

"And then you would sick the X7's on me."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"Why'd you take Brin."

"She doesn't belong here. I know what you're doing to her."

"Do you Trigsie?"

"Don't call me that. It's Trigs."

"Really. I figured you would have picked a new name by now."

"I've used many. Eponine, Anna, Kerry. I switch whenever I need to."

"And how often have you needed too?"

"In nine years, you have never found the city I've been in till I'm long gone."

"This is the closest we've been in years."

"Except when I got Kiri."

"And stabbed me."

"You were a threat. You threatened me. I may reprogram myself, but I remember the important stuff."

"I guess Lyedecker trained you well."

"He did."

"That's why I never found you until now."

"You know I have a weakness. Everyone does."

"You're fellow X5's."

"My family."

"If you love them so much, why have you left them behind."

"Can't have you tracking them through me, now can I?"

"Guess not."

"I don't want to have to kill you Trigs."

"No ones making you kill me. I'm on file as dead."

"I won't have to if you leave the other X5's alone."

"They're my family."

"Trigs."

"Listen, I am not the little angel you once knew. I'm different. I'm an adult now. I'm not the same child you had thrown to the Nomolies."

"Please, I don't want to hurt you."

"I damn well want to hurt you."

"I know you do."

"You know I found Ben about six months ago."

"X5 493 eh?"

"No! His name was Ben. He died, and it was your fault. You knew he was not right."

"I put your number in the paper to ask you to help us get him."

"You could have done more."

"No. I tried."  
"Fine. But with Tinga. You killed Tinga."

"I thought it would draw you out."

"So you kill my sister? Geez, you don't know me, do you. You want me, and you get Max and Zack."

"You're here, aren't you?"

"Not for long. I should just kill you know and get out of here."

"Will you?"

"I won't kill you. I can't. You know it."

"You were a perfect specimen."

"I'm gone now. Maybe when I come back for Corgen, we can have another little heart to heart."

"Trigs, we need you."

"And I need you like I need a seizure."

"Please."

"Don't think you can talk to me like you did when I was a child. Things are different now. I'm grown up, and I have a life."

"With that X2, Carn, I think his name is?"

"Carn, and Renz."

"You have a relationship with Carn."

"He helps me when I'm in heat."

"You ever think about other men?"

"Why are you asking me these things?"

"Why are you listening to me?"  
"Because it's what I used to do."

"Because unlike every other Manticore drone, you were always my favourite X5."

"I have to go."

"I'll get you someday."

"And then I'll slit my throat."

"Don't Trigs."

"Give me a head start. Give me a chance to get away."

"You have six months. Then I bring on the X7's."

"You don't like them."

"How do you know?"

"Cause you wouldn't send them against me, cause I'd kill them."

"Good luck Trigs."

"No need for Luck, Penny."

OHHHHHH!! Big revalation!!! Thanks to the peeps who've reviewed so far. This may be the last Chapter. I'm going to start a second story, focusing on Max, Zack, Zane and Jondy in Seattle. Trigs will be in it! (YEA!)

I don't own Dark Angel, nor anything affiliated. I owe X5 631 and Igen and Carn and Renz and Kiri.


	7. Normal?

Chapter 7  
Trigs in Seattle  
  
Authors note: I changed my mind. I decided to write more on this story. It's too much fun to   
give up. This chapter deals with Trigs, and her memories of Manticore. It will give insight into   
my X5.  
Thanks to those who gave me feedback. You people kick a$$. More reviews! I'm   
review hungry! And to icestorm, who signs Ja at the end of her reviews, this one's for you, cause   
you asked.  
Now onto Trigsie.  
  
Trigs left the Manticore compound as fast as she could. She wanted away from   
Manticore, away from Lyedecker, away from Renfro, away from everything. She debated going   
back to see Max and Zack, but decided against it. She knew that Renfro would not keep her   
word, that Renfro would come after her. She knew she had to bounce. Trigs knew that the open   
road was the only way.  
Trigs took out the one thing that kept her in touch with her real family, with Carn and   
Renz. Ben had her number, so did Tinga. Tinga had called Trigs before she had been caught.   
She called Trigs from Max's house, told her to watch over her kid. Trigs had. Trigs kept her   
promise, and had made sure Case was safe in Canada.  
Trigs called Carn's cell phone, and told his voice mail she was bouncing. She knew he   
would be mad, but he also knew she would be back to him. Trigs needed to get away, but Carn   
would find her, and she would be his again.  
Sometimes, Trigs prayed she would wake up and be a normal person. She hoped one day   
she would become pregnant, and give birth to a child. Her child, and Carn's. When she thought   
about that, she smacked herself. She could not have children with Carn. Carn was an X2. X2's   
couldn't have children.  
The road outside Manticore was cold, and Barren. Trigs walked on, shivering as the   
wind whipped against her bloody cheek. No one would be on the road for a while. It was two   
am, according to her watch, and she knew the guards switched places at four. She would have   
two hours to move before anyone would find her footsteps in the snow.  
Trigs remembered how much Brin loved snow when she was a child. She wondered if   
Brin was already being taught that she was better off free. Better off in the real world. Better off   
with her family outside Manticore. Better off in the real world.  
Trigs often wondered if they were better off in the 'real world'. The World outside the   
walls of Manticore. Manticore was where she was born, where she was raised, where she was   
taught. Manticore had been her home.  
But Trigs knew that she was not a person to be held at Manticore. She knew that she was   
better than Manticore. So what if she never had the shakes, never was the first one up for breath,   
always the first one across the line in a race, always the best fighter. It didn't matter that she was   
better then Max, or Zack, or anyone else. It didn't seem important anymore how much money   
they spent on her, or what they did to her to make her worth so much. Trigs was different.  
Trigs knew that out of all the Manticore X5's, she was the first to really have a soul.  
Trigs knew Tinga had a soul. She fell in love. You needed a soul to love, in Trigs mind.   
Ben had a soul too. He was devoted to the Blue lady. Max, she thought, has a soul. She's in   
love with that guy. The guy who's legs are all weird.  
It was then that Trigs knew why she couldn't go back. It was then it all sunk in. It was   
then that she realized what was wrong, why she didn't want to go back. It was something Renfro   
had said to her. Something that stung her ego.  
She had a brother.  
He had no soul.  
Trigs never thought Zack had a soul. He was a soldier. He was different. He and her   
always had their differences. They had never gotten along, nor had they ever seen eye to eye on   
anything. He had his missions and his promise to Eva. She had the Blue Lady and her music.   
Music, it was hers. She was the only X5 to ever truly understand music. She remembered how   
Zack responded to music the first time.  
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Zack, Peeps, Trigs and Jack were all together that night. It was a training mission, and   
they were a squad. Their job was to set up a camp and stay away from Lyedecker. Jack had   
already set out dinner; the cold rations they were given spiced up with berries she had found.   
Zack was studying a map of the Terrain, while Peeps checked over the guns. Trigs was guarding   
the camp, and walking casually.  
Zack was NOT happy having Trigs on his team. He and Trigs' personalities clashed.   
They had issues getting along. She often would talk about her special friend, the reason she   
missed lessons. She always seemed to know what the lessons were after though, which bothered   
Zack. Trigs was a better soldier than Zack, which bothered him.  
Trigs was walking along the edge of the clearing, watching and listening for Lyedecker   
and his men trying to sneak up on them. Trigs never could sit still. She was worse than Kiri and   
Tinga. Zack was glad he only got one of those three girls. He loved them each, but they were   
not the kind of soldiers he wanted to work with. Tinga and Kiri tried hard, but were weak. Trigs   
was too good.  
Trigs decided that it was time she let the others in on her newfound talent as she guarded   
the camp. Penny had been teaching her so many new things in the months she had spent time   
with her little Trigs. Each day, for one hour, she would teach Trigs whatever she thought could   
help her. Penny had plans for her Trigs. She didn't want her to end up a common soldier, like   
the other X5's. Trigs had always shown individuality. She enjoyed colour, enjoyed music. Very   
odd traits for an X5.  
Penny had submitted a proposal that X5 631 be given to her to train. She had been   
denied. She then asked to be allowed to supplement her training. They allowed that. Lyedecker   
did not like watching his little soldier walk away form the class each day to sit in Penelope   
Renfro's office. There, Trigs could be herself. The bright child could ask any question, talk   
back, yell, shout, question, and be, as she wanted to be, not as Lyedecker wanted her to be.  
About two months into her time with Penny, Trigs found a CD and found music. It was a   
beautiful song called Iris, by a band called the Goo Goo dolls. Trigs laughed at the name, then   
listened to the song. Penny was late that day, and walked in as Trigs began to sing along with   
the CD. Penny stopped before entering, and thought about the consequences. She should have   
taken the CD away and given Trigs back to Lyedecker, but she didn't. She didn't know why, but   
she liked Little X5 631, a girl who was given the name Trigs just after her first exposure to   
Music. Penny didn't find out until it was too late that the child she had given birth to was Trigs.  
The moment Trigs sang, she became different, and stayed that way.  
"Trigs!" shouted Peeps, sitting on the rock near her bedding.  
"What?"  
"Get your Dinner," Zack said, "Time for chow."  
"Thanks," Trigs said, taking the cold rations. She took a few bites of the cold mush she   
had been brought up to eat.  
"So what's going on with you and that lady?" asked Jack.  
"She's a friend. She's been teaching me."  
"Teaching you?"  
"Yes. She helps me understand complicated issues."  
"All we need are orders," said Zack.  
"We need more," Trigs said, "Much more."  
"That's why I'm your CO."  
"That's why you're baked!" said Trigs, a look of defiance and anger in her eyes.  
"Baked?" said Jack.  
"Backed. Unintelligent. Lacking any mental aptitude."  
"Did you make up that word?" asked Zack.  
"No. I did not!"  
"You're so weird!" shouted Zack, settling down to his dinner.  
"Oh fine," she said, sitting on her bedding, and beginning to hum the tune to one of the   
many songs Penny let her listen to. Zack turned his head quickly, and stared at his sister, as she   
opened her mouth, and began to quietly sing a song about freedom, and liberty, and life.  
Zack looked at his sister, wishing for a split second he was like her. She was young. She   
was not expected to be the best, to lead the siblings. She was a free spirit. She had a mind of her   
own, her own way of doing things. Zack wished her could.  
As Trigs lifted her voice, Peeps and Jack stood in awe watching, both wishing they would   
be there with Trigs when she went to see her friend. Neither of them knew they would be dead   
within a few years.  
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Trigs thought back to her siblings as she walked along the cold road. Peeps died less than   
a week after Trigs sang to her. Jack died about seven years later. Death seemed to haunt Trigs   
life.  
As Trigs walked, she wondered where she would go. She considered Canada, but knew   
that she needed to go to Seattle. Manticore was offline until the DNA lab could be fixed. Renfro   
was off her back for a few months. Max would go to Seattle. She would take Zack with her.   
Kiri would likely go with them. Igen would too. The four of them would work together.  
And so would she. She had an old friend in Seattle. Someone who had once been there   
when she had been sick. He knew her and Carn. He would help her. He might even get her a   
job. She hoped her remembered her.  
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*  
Days later, Trigs reached a small town, and decided to eat. Being an X5, she didn't need   
to eat, or sleep every day. After nearly killing her sister, she decided to find a friend and keep   
moving.  
She walked into the diner, and headed straight for the bathroom. She pulled out a small   
compact, and took out a cloth. She ran warm water over it, and quickly began to run it over her   
wounds, cleaning each out. When she felt clean, she walked out, and headed for the back of   
building. A middle aged man, with glasses and short hair, sat there and watched her walk.  
"Eva," he said. She forgot she had been Eva the last time she was in Seattle. It had been   
a long time since she had been Eva.  
"Thank you for coming."  
"How did you end up here. Alone. Without partners in crime."  
"I just did. What did we tell you."  
"Don't ask questions. I know."  
"Well then?"  
"Sorry I asked."  
"You know me," Trigs said, pushing her hair back and behind her ear, "International   
Woman of Mystery."  
"Who can jump higher than a rabbit."  
"That's what you get when you splice DNA."  
"You are coming to Seattle."  
"I am. I need to take care of my sister and brother."  
"Names?"  
"No."  
"Do I know of them."  
"Do you need to?"  
"You and your secrets. I'm going to get you to Seattle, and you can crash at my place."  
"Kent and Dirk aren't going to back me up."  
"I understand Eva. You're on your own."  
"Thanks Reagan."  
"Everyone calls me Normal."  
"Normal?" asked Trigs, her eyes lighting up and her mouth curling into the little smile   
she allowed.  
"Yeah. Bad nickname."  
"How's Theo and the rest of Jam Pony?"  
"Theo died, months ago Eva. Jacinda was heartbroken when I couldn't find you to get   
you to come to Seattle."  
"She should know better."  
"Listen Eva, she doesn't know you're a Guns Trafficker. She doesn't know you like I   
do."  
"You think you know me?"  
"I do. I know that you have a sister named Tinga, and one named Brin. I know your   
favourite brother was named Ben, and you little brother Jack died when he was nine."  
"Jack was older than me."  
"He died from a genetic disorder."  
"True."  
"You never knew your mother. You were in an orphanage till you were thirteen. You   
escaped with them, and ended up with Kent."  
"That I did."  
"You also have a brother named Zack, who you don't like to talk about. He thought you   
were crazy. You loved him but her thought you were absolutely insane."  
"Who told you that?"  
"Kent. He and I were friends. I owe you three a lot."  
"You just drove out here to get me after I simply said the words, Ragmen, it's Eva, I need   
you."  
"You would have done it for me."  
"Yeah."  
"You three saved to start Jam Pony."  
"Would've done that for anyone."  
"You gave me the money to make it bigger."  
"We didn't need it."  
"You didn't need ten thousand dollars. Yeah right. You were just kids. Your hair was so   
short back then."  
"You didn't wear those ridiculous glasses and look like a nerd."  
"I AM NOT A NERD."  
"Yes you are. You always have been. Kent knows it. Dirk knows it. I know it."  
"Really?"  
"Yeah. Sorry Reagan."  
"S'Okay," Normal said, taking a sip from his coffee, "So, you still got that Tattoo?"  
"Yeah. I like it."  
"Yet you hide it."  
"Why are you bugging me?"  
"Cause I can. I've missed you Eva. I miss Kent too."  
"I left Kent in Gillette, Wyoming, a month ago."  
"You left him?"  
"I had too. It wasn't safe for me to go back to him."  
"You left him, just like that. He's probably out of his mind looking for you."  
"Military Protocol," Trigs said, repeating the words that were drilled into her head as a   
child.  
"You never mentioned you were in the Military."  
"Things are different now. So many things have changed in my life. My sister Tinga is   
dead. My brother Ben is dead. My sister and brother may be dying. I left Carn in Hell, as far as   
I know."  
"I knew his name wasn't Kent."  
"What did I say?"  
"Carn. He's called you Trigsie a few times. You called Dirk Renz."  
"So? We changed our names?"  
"Is Eva your name?"  
"No, but it's the name I enjoy using the most."  
"Why?"  
"Because it's what my first real friend called me."  
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*  
Trigs was wandering around Seattle in awe. Manticore thought the three X series   
children were dead. Seventeen year old Carn, Sixteen year old Renz and Thirteen year old Trigs.   
The three kids were fresh out of Manticore, and lost in the large city of Seattle.  
Trigs had wandered away from her friends twice during the first week. Carn, a natural   
leader, worried sick about his little girl, whose red hair was just growing out of the Manticore   
Buzz Cut. She wore a Bandanna, a sky blue one that kept her hair out of her face, as she was   
accustomed too after thirteen years at Manticore.  
The three kids had found adapting to life outside Manticore harder then they thought.   
There was so much they didn't know and understand. They had managed to steal enough money   
to pay the rent on a small apartment. They had stolen what they needed, and had agreed not to   
steal anything unnecessary. They made a pact they could each buy one thing that wasn't needed,   
just wanted. Renz picked up a puppy, a big Rotweiller which Trigs named Krit. Carn bought a   
Car. Eva bought a Stereo, and played it constantly. She filled the small grungy apartment with   
all the music she could get her hands on.  
On that particular day, Trigs had gone off to find a job, a real job. She could steal, and   
she was good at stealing, but she didn't want to. She wanted to be normal. She wanted to feel   
like a person.  
She heard about the messanger service from a woman who ran a bakery where Trigs   
hung out. She told her they were hiring, and that Trigs should try to get a job. Trigs agreed, and   
left her apartment that morning, praying she could get a job.  
Jam Pony was inside an old wearhouse. Trigs walked in, expecting to see a bunch of   
people busily rushing around. Instead, when she stepped around the corner, she saw a bunch of   
people being held hostage. Her training kicked in, and she whipped around the corner, and saw   
her companions, Carn and Renz, walking up to her. She put her hand to her mouth, indicating   
quiet. They came up beside her, and looked around the corner, then each pulled out their guns,   
and Trigs did the same. Trigs made a few gestures, and they agreed.  
The three of them slipped into the building with no sound, as they were all taught at   
Manticore. There were a few large men with big guns holding a few scared looking people   
hostage. Trigs went to one side of the room, while Carn and Renz took the other.  
Trigs came out first, landing a good, solid punch in the face of the biggest guy with the   
biggest gun. She whirled around, her Bandanna flying off, and kicked the second guy in the   
stomach, sending him flying. Carn took his gun away, while Renz held him. The first guy shook   
his head, and grabbed Trigs wrist, and whipped out a second gun.  
"Bitch!" he said, "You little Bitch! I'm gonna kill you."  
"Rip him!" yelled Carn, noticing Trigs wasn't look at him. Trigs ducked under his arms,   
and grabbed both of his arms just past the shoulders. She took a breath and pulled. A crack,   
loud and satisfying, followed by a scream, told Trigs she had managed to pull both the mans   
arms out of their sockets. The man let out a whine, and fell forward. Trigs pulled her hands into   
fists, and looked around, looking for more, but it was only the two men. Renz let the guy go, and   
he started shaking at the sight of the tiny red haired girl with her hands in fists. He grabbed his   
still moaning partner and got the hell out of Jam Pony. Trigs watched them leave, then nodded   
to her friends.  
"You saved us," came a voice from behind. All three of them turned around to see a   
young man with spiked hair and dorky clothes looking in awe at them.  
"It was what he had to do," said Trigs.  
"That was amazing!" said the man next to him, "Where'd you learn to do that?"  
"Our Parents were involved in the Military," said Carn, "It's where we met."  
"So what are you doing here?" asked the first man.  
"We don't like fighting for anything we don't believe in," said Trigs looking up into the   
mans eyes, her big violet eyes obviously hiding the terrors she had seen."  
"Well thank for that!" said the second man, "I'm Theo. This is Reagan. You've found   
Jam Pony Messengers."  
"I'm Kent," said Carn, "This is my brother Dirk, and our friend…"  
"Eva," said Trigs, "Eva Renfro."  
"Well Dirk, Kent and Eva Renfro, thank you. Anything you need, we'll do."  
"We're all lacking jobs," said Trigs, "And I think we'd get along fine in this place."  
"Considor yourself having a job," said Normal, "Anything else? I mean, you just saved   
Jam Pony."  
"You could be okay with the fact none of us have any ID," said Renz, "Cause we're not   
into the whole being part of the system."  
"It's okay," said Theo, "Understandable."  
"I think I'm gonna like it here."  
"I know I'm going to like it here," said Trigs, taking the Papers Reagan gave her.  
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*  
Normal looked over at his old friend quickly eating the hash browns and eggs he ordered   
for her. It had been five years since she left Jam Pony, five years since the spunky red haired   
angel he loved had walked away from him. She had said she needed to bounce, and she got into   
Carn's car and left.  
She had always been Normal's favourite messenger. She was strong, stronger than any of   
the other girls who worked at Jam Pony. She had always been punctual, and polite, and able to   
pull off more runs in one day than his current ones, Max, Cindy, Herbal and Sketchy put   
together. She was a bright child, and Normal loved her.  
She ate quickly, as she was taught at Manticore. If the children didn't eat their meals fast   
enough, Lyedecker would take it away from them. Trigs ate quickly, knowing that sooner or   
later, someone from Manticore would walk in, and she would have to take Normal and run.  
"So you are coming to Seattle?"  
"Yes Normal. I have too. I need a place to crash."  
"My place is always open."  
"I was going to go bug Jacinda. I know you treasure your privacy."  
"I don't mind."  
"I need to see her anyway. I think she might want to know where I went."  
"She does Eva. Everyone does."  
"They remember me. I'm shocked."  
"No one forgets girls like you Eva."  
"Thanks."  
"So how's your family? I know of your siblings, just not much about them."  
"It's been a bad five years Normal."  
"The one in Portland? Tina, was it?"  
"Tinga. Tinga died from a medical expiriment gone bad."  
"My apologies. Did you ever get to meet her?"  
"Yes. I found out where she was and got a job at her son's school. I met her when she   
came in to get her son."  
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"Miss Smith is here to see you Eva," said Mrs. Kariko, one of the teachers at Case's   
school. Trigs, still going by the name Eva Renfro, was only twenty years old, but with her   
intellegence, had managed to get a job working in a day Care, specificly, the one where Tinga's   
son Case was. Trigs worked hard getting to know Case, and found him to be brighter than the   
average child, much like the kids at Manticore were.  
That day, Trigs was dressed normally for her. She had developed her own sense of style   
while living in Seattle. She always wore a blue bandanna, even thought it clashed with her long   
red hair. She never cut her hair, because it reminded her of what she went through in Manticore.   
She wore black Combat boots, because they were comfortable, and they were what she thought   
she should wear. She laughed at herself for that, realising Manticore had taught her something.   
She liked her pretty blue dress, because it made her feel like a Princess. It was a short dress with   
wide straps. The dress was the colour of the sea, with little sparkles all over it. Trigs loved it.  
As Trigs stood there, a crash was heard in the next room. Shw rushed over, and saw tat   
Case, the last child left there that night, had toppled his tower over, and was crying. Trigs   
walked over slowly and knelt down next to him.  
"Case? What's wrong?" she asked, not knowing Tinga had entered.  
"I toppled my tower Eva," he said.  
"I think we can fix it."  
"I don't want to."  
"Why not?"  
"Because it'll just break again."  
"You're a bright little boy Case."  
"Can you tell me a story Eva?"  
"What story?"  
"Then one about the Princess in the castle."  
"I don't know that one."  
"Can you tell me one about you?"  
"No, but I'll tell you one about a princess in a castle."  
"The same one as my mommy?"  
"I guess. Did the one your mommy tell you have lots of children in it?"  
"Yes. The princess had lots of brothers and sisters."  
"Well, there was one little princess named Trigsie. She was a very special little girl. She   
liked to laugh and play, but the evil wizard wouldn't let her."  
"Wjat happened then?"  
"He threw her in the deepest, darkest dungeon because she wouldn't do what he said."  
"Did she get out?"  
"Yes," said Trigs, hearing Tinga's breathing in the background.  
"She did?"  
"She escaped, but not until after her brothers and sisters got out. She ran away with two   
knights, and they lived in a big city, happily ever after."  
"Did Trigsie ever find her family?"  
"One day, she was wandering around a big city, and she saw her sister!"  
"Did she say hi?"  
"No. She asked her sister to meet her on top of the tall bank building a few blocks away   
from where they met. She said that she wanted to talk to her sister."  
"Did her sister come?"  
"I don't know. What do you think?"  
"Yes. Her sister should go."  
"Well then," said Trigs, looking back at Tinga, "Look, you're mommy's here Case."  
"MOMMY!" said Case, jumping away from Trigs and to his mommy.  
"Goodbye Case," said Trigs, waving her hand at the little boy. Tinga looked back once at   
Trigs, and walked away.  
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*  
Hours later, Trigs stood alone atop the tall tower, looking out over the city. She had   
changed her clothes, choosing to dress in black pants, a black leather jacket and a black tank top   
underneath. She had a feeling Tinga was going to attack her. She would have attack Tinga if   
she thought she was going to hurt a child of hers.  
As she stood there, she heard Tinga come up the stairs. It could be no one but Tinga.   
The children learned each others' breathing rate back in Manticore, and Trigs never forgot it.   
She feared one day she would have to fight them, and she wanted the advantage of knowing who   
she was fighting.  
"Don't mess with me Tinga," Trigs said loudly, "I may be small, but I'm an X5, same as   
you."  
Tinga held her breath.  
"You wanna see my barcode? I'm not a spy. I came here to see my sister. The one who   
left me behind. The only female out of all of them I can forgive!" Trigs yelled, moving her hair   
aside and showing off her barcode, "Look familier."  
"You're dead. Zack said you're dead," whispered Tinga.  
"I am certainly not dead Tinga. I should think that Zack would think I was dead. It says   
on all the reports I'm dead. You know me though. You remember me. Was I the kind of girl to   
EVER give up? No Tinga. I fought them. I escaped. I faked my own death."  
"It's not possible."  
"Tinga, listen to me. This isn't Eva, or Brin, or Jace. This is Trigs, your Trigsie. Do you   
remember all the times you and I stayed up at the high place until we were so drowsy? I do.   
You used to love to hear me sing. You loved music Tinga. They never got it out of you. You   
went down into the containment unit with the Nomolies rather than betray that I knew how to   
sing, and I knew about music."  
"Trigs…"  
"Good. You understand. You know I can hear you. You know me still. Just come out   
here and see me."  
"No… It's a trap."  
"Damnit Tinga. You think I would trick you? Why would I?" Trigs swore, then   
suddenly began to sing, "This bloody road remains a mystery. This sudden darkness fills the air.   
What we running for? Won't anybody help us? What we running for? We can't afford to be   
innocent. Stand up and face the enemy, it's a do or die situation. We will be invincable. And   
with the power of conviction, there is no sacrifice. It's a do or die situation. We will be   
invincable."  
"Trigs," said Tinga, walking out of the shadows and facing her little sister. Trigs, with   
her long curly red hair and big violet eyes stared up at her sister, and smiled, really smiled, for   
the first time since she had been dragged down to the cellar with the Nomolies.  
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*  
"Eva!" said Normal, "We really should be going. I do have to work."  
"Sorry Normal," Trigs said, "I was thinking about Tinga."  
"My car's outside. Shall we go to Seattle?"  
"Yeah."  



	8. Meeting of the Lost ones

Chapter 8

Meanwhile in Seattle

"Where the hell is Normal?" asked Cindy, standing by the edge of the cage which 

normally held her uptight boss Normal.

"He's not here!" said the Cocky Man behind the Cage, "He had to go and pick up a 

friend."

"And he sent you?"

"No, his friend sent me. I owe her a favor."

"So it's a girly," said Sketchy; "You think this ones really a woman?"

"She's all woman," said the man, "Now bip-bip-bip!"

"That man is worse than Normal," said Max, sitting on her bench gazing at the young 

black man.

"He is?" said Jondy, looking puzzled.

"Normal was bad, but this is guy is Normal's evil clone!" said Zack, cracking a grin.

"You think he's a Normal-7?" asked Zane, laughing hard. The four X-5's had decided to 

stay in Seattle for a while, because the poison had damaged both Max and Zack. Krit, Syl, Igen, 

and Kiri had headed to Mexico to find Jace. They were going to have one big reunion. All the 

X-5's would finally meet. Manticore was gone, with the DNA lab it would be toast.

"Nah," said Max, "Too young."

"We having a Genetic Conference over here, or can I join my boo?" asked Cindy.

"Come on Cindy," said Jondy, "Join us rejects."

"You ain't rejects," said Cindy, "You got away from those black helicopter guys."

"Barely," said Zack, still annoyed.

"So Cindy, you know who Normal went to get?" asked Sketchy.

"You've been here the longest," said Herbal, "He had any other women?"

"Only one," said Cindy, "Little thing. Red hair. Eva… I think her name was. The girl 

up and left his ass one-day. I don't think he ever truly got the girl. She was fine."

"Eva? Normal used to always say that I would never be Eva," said Max.

"That's cause you got her job," said Cindy, "And speak of the devil, the gal enters."

Trigs walked confidently into Jam Pony, Normal following her. She was wearing a pair 

of black hot pants, and a baby blue tank top. Her hair, long and red, was hanging down her back, 

but was held out of her face by a blue bandanna. Her right shoulder was bandaged, and she had a 

small scar on her forehead. She walked over to where Normal kept the spare bikes, and pulled 

one down before wheeling it over to the locker that never opened. She walked past Sketchy, and 

his jaw dropped.

"Eva!" said the man behind the cage, "Good to see you. You could have called me 

sooner."

"You know me. Would I call you unless I was desperate?"

"You called your older sister."

"My mother had her. I had to."

"Whatever. Where you staying?"

"Wait a while, we'll ride."

"Who's this?" asked Normal, looking at the Man with disgust.

"My Brother Casey," said Trigs, smiling sweetly, "You know, the one from South 

Africa."

"You didn't tell me!"

"You drove to get me; I called him to come help you. He was in Washington anyway."

"Eva…"

"Reagan," she said, giving him a look of dread, "He's my brother. Don't make me hurt 

you."

"Like you could."

"I think I could," she said, putting her hands on her hips and staring Normal down, "And 

if you tell me to bip-bip-bip, I'll break your arm."

"Fine fine. Casey, can you ride?"

"Yeah, he can," said Trigs.

"I asked him."

"She knows me," said Casey, also known as X5-490, or Creeg.

"Fine. You wanna buddy up and head out to sector nine?"

"I'll run it," said Trigs, "I don't fear."

"You fear the monster in the basement!" called Creeg.

"I fear nothing!" she said, and rode off, her hair flying out behind her, almost showing 

where her barcode would be.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Logan walked slowly towards his computer. Max was out with Cindy, Jondy was out 

chilling with Sketchy, Zane was fixing Max's Bike, and Zack was off trying to locate his brother 

and sister.

When Max was brought back to Seattle, she was happy. Manticore was gone. They 

weren't going to hunt for her anymore. Manticore was being shut down. Max decided to stay in 

Seattle, along with Jondy and Zane. Zack, on the other hand, wanted to leave, wanted to go find 

the X2 and X4 that had escaped with Brin. They decided that since their partner had left them, 

that they would reprogram Brin.

Zack walked into his room, and jumped in shock. Sitting there, was Lyedecker. He was 

dressed in black, all black, and was pretty beat up.

"You okay?" asked Logan.

"Do I look okay? No. I need your aid in tracking someone down."

"No hello? No formalities?"

"There is a second psychotic X5 out there on the Warpath."

"And he's after you? Why am I not shocked."

"She is after Zack. She had me pinned against a wall, and broke my finger!" shouted 

Lyedecker, holding up his mangled fingers for Logan to see.

"Which one?"

"X5-513. Lia."

"Never heard of her."

"You didn't know Max as a child. Lia was part of a small group of X5's that stuck 

together. Max was always with Jondy and Zane, Tinga, Brin, Eva, Krit, Syl and Zack. Lia hung 

out with Igen, Creeg, Kiri, Corgen, Hurst, Ben, Gena and Trigs."

"I met Kiri and Igen."

"They've both gone AWOL. Those are the two Zack's after."

"Someone's leading them away."

"And it's not Lia. Lia was never a leader."

"Who led the group when they were younger?"

"Ben, or Trigs."

"Trigs?"

"X5-631. I'm not surprised if Max never mentioned her. What happened to her bothered 

even me."

"What?"

"Let's just say this girl had issues. She was experimented on."

"So was Max."

"You remember the tape I showed you of the X7's. The way they found that combination 

of Genes was Trigs. They screwed that girl up. Then, to further the matter, they locked her in 

the basement with the X2's."

"I met an X2."

"That guy? No… He was not a normal X2. They were monsters. So was Trigs."

"Why?"

"She caused the escape. She was the first X5 to understand life beyond Manticore."

"Ah. The one with the mind."

"Brilliant girl. We weren't able to program her after Renfro finished her twisted 

experiment on the girl."

"Oh."

"She was killed in fire, nine years ago."

"So she died."

"Until I figure this out, yes. She's 'dead'."

"You have doubts?"

"Yes. This attack, it was her style. Ambush from the flank. Typical Trigs. She was the 

only one who seemed to truly understand strategy."

"So why do you need my help?"

"Trigs is smart. She knows she'll need help. She'll need Tryptophan, but won't want to 

alert Zack or the others she's here."

"So?"

"You have a friend who's a quadriplegic. Trigs could, and would fix him if she could 

protect her family."

"Sebastion."

"I know the girl, she'll approach him."

"I'm beginning to doubt that this is the first time that you've crossed paths with this girl."

"It is. She's been there a few times, when I've needed her."

"Why? All the others resent you."

"You don't understand what they did to her. Renfro is a monster. She did these tests on 

Trigs, on the child she gave birth to."

"She's Trigs mother?"

"She's Zack's mother."

"How do you know?"

"I raised'em."

"I see."

"Even if Manticore is shut down, Renfro will not stop hunting Trigs. I want to help her."

"I see."

"So you'll talk to Sebastion?"

"I'll ask. I can't guarantee anything."

"I owe her my life."

"I understand."

"No, you don't."

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Lyedecker was outside Manticore for the first time in a long time. He was out with one 

of his X5's, Lia and Gena. Lia and Gena had become a model X5 since the escape. They were 

riding out to a small town to take out a man who knew something about one of the escaped X5's.

Lia was asleep in the back seat with Gena, while Lyedecker drove. Suddenly, out of 

nowhere, a car came flying around and smashed the front end of the car containing Kiri and 

Lyedecker.

The impact threw Lyedecker forward, the feeling spreading through out his body. The 

men in the other car came forward, and Lyedecker knew them. The red series, South African 

juiced up convicts. One of them, a great lumbering brute, walked out and ripped the door off the 

hummer. Lyedecker was pinned in the car, and could only watch as his two X5's were dragged 

out of the car and onto the street. Then, suddenly, the sound of a cat landing on the roof caught 

his ears. The Reds looked up, and were shot in the head. The girl, about sixteen, jumped down 

and freed her sisters. Lia and Gena ran, but the girl turned back. With strength better than what 

the theoretic X9's would have, she ripped the door off the car, and got Lyedecker out.

"What are you doing?" asked Lia.

"Getting him out," answered the girl, whom Lyedecker figured was Trigs.

"Why?" asked Gena.

"Because the world needs him. He may be useful."

"He shot Eva!"

"He saved me from Renfro. Call me selfish, but I owe him for that."

"Trigs?" asked Lyedecker groggily. Trigs quickly untied the kerchief that kept her long 

red hair back and bandaged Lyedecker's wrist before pulling out her cell phone and handing it to 

her.

"Tell them you're here, and that Lia and Gena were killed in the blast," she said in a no 

nonsense tone of voice.

"What the hell?" asked Gena, "That's the man who killed Eva."

"If I kill him, I'm no better than him, which is not so."

"No way!" said Gena, "I want him dead."

"I am in charge out here Gena. I don't want to, but I'll hurt you if I must. He stays alive."

"You're not a tact officer."

"I know the world, and I know the director. If Lyedecker sits by the side of the road and 

swears we've died, we've died. No one will hunt us if we keep a low profile."

"And what makes you think you'll do it?" Lyedecker asked.

"Because," said Trigs, kneeling down so she was face level with him, "I know your 

secret. Max…"

"And what about Max?"

"She's in Tacoma Washington. She lives in an apartment on the West Side. I can get her 

in a minute."

"I'll be glad to have her back."

"You know I wouldn't do that."

"You're crazy."

"These are my sisters. As long as they stay dead, Max stays alive. I will kill her if you 

make a move towards us."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

"You dare to defy authority?"

"I was always cocky. You know that."

"I'll find you."

"And I'll kill Max, or maybe Jondy, possibly Brin."

"You're insane."

"You try spending your teen years in a dungeon with a crazed X2 and we'll see how sane 

you are."

"I'm a reasonable man."

"And I am a reasonable X5."

"I want one of them. I need to know where one of them is."

"Krit is in Austin, Texas. Goes by the name Alex Hanson."

"And both Lia and Gena died?"

"Both of them."

"Reasonable Trigs. However, I do know you've been in contact with Igen and Creeg."

"What do you want. No more locations."

"Don't warn them."

"Jondy and Max are off limits."

"I understand."

"Good."

"I worry you'll warn Zack."

"No worries. I will not warn him. He's in Los Angeles, visiting a Sister."

"Why?"

"He knew I was alive in Manticore and told everyone I died."

"You resent him."

"I want him back at Manticore."

"Then we want the same thing."

"But I wouldn't mind you dead."

"Okay, but if you just think…"

"Thinking is what ended me up here in hell. You call her and we leave."

"Fine."

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Gena paced back and forth in the small condominium in sector 12 of Seattle. She hated 

being restrained. It reminded her of Manticore. She curled her silky brown hair around one 

finger, and started walking again.

"You're going to make a hole in the floor!" said Igen, who was sprawled out on the 

couch.

"Calm down sugar," said Hurst, a Chinese man who was busily chopping up chicken in 

the small kitchen.

"Is she gonna show?" Gena asked, "I mean, come on, have any of us seen her since she 

got us out? This could be a Manticore trick."

"Why?" asked Lia, a tall lanky girl with long dreadlocks.

"Because we're X5's. Renfro won't just give us up."

"Calm down baby sister," said Kiri, "If Trigs says she's coming, she's coming. She said she had 

to talk to someone about getting some Tryptophan."

"She's not coming," said Gena, "She'll abandon us."

"I hate to say it, but I agree with Gena. What if she's Manticore?" asked Lia.

"She's not," said Brin, "Believe me, she's not. If she was, she would not have kicked my 

ass and dragged me out of there."

"Could be a ploy," said Gena, "Lyedecker always taught us to lie."

"He did not teach us to kick each other unconscious. She's not Manticore. Renfro spent 

half her time trying to track Trigs down. Trigs is not Manticore."

"You're right, I'm not," said Trigs, walking casually into the condo.

"Little sister?" asked Igen, getting up and walking to the door. Trigs looked at him 

sternly then cracked into a big grin.

"Hey," was all she could say before Igen grabbed her in a tight hug. Kiri, her bright blue 

hair brushed back, walked forward, her eyes nearly in tears.

"I thought I saw you, when Renfro got me, and I thought I heard you, when Carn and 

Renz drove me to the others. I never dreamed you were real Trigs. I wanted you to be. I didn't 

want you to be dead, like Zack said," she whimpered, then began sobbing. Trigs, her own eyes 

tearing up, reach over and pulled her sister over and into her warm embrace.

"It's okay Kiri. We're safe now, and I won't let them split you and I up again. He broke 

us once, but never again baby sister. Never," she said, then looked to her other siblings, "I know 

I haven't been the best sister. I've faded in and out of your lives, and even then, only by e-mail. 

It's taken me a while to get over what Manticore screwed into my head. Those of you I helped, I 

split up for safety's sake, just as Zack did, but I'm not Zack, far from it."

"Trigs…" said Gena.

"Now we are together, and we stay together. No more splitting up. No more calling in. 

You are my family, and we will stay together, just as Ben said we should. I know I've made 

mistakes. We all have. Now we deal with them together, as a family."

"Trigs," said Hurst, reaching out and touching her hand. Brin walked over and hugged 

her once Kiri finally let go, but couldn't, due to broken ribs.

"You saved us," said Gena, hugging her sister before Lia did.

"And now we're safe."

"This isn't home," said Trigs suddenly.

"It's not?" asked Creeg.

"No," she answered, "Home is a small place I've got in the tropical islands. It's not much, 

but we can make it much. Right now, we owe someone a quick death."

"Lyedecker," said Kiri, "Trigs, he's a good guy."

"I know. That's why I said quick death. Renfro's got a hit out on him. The X7's."

"What!" said Kiri, "No."

"We're taking them down. We can. We were the best they had, except we had too much 

independence."

"We get to kill Lyedecker," said Gena, looking at Lia, who turned red.

"What's wrong?" asked Trigs, looking to Lia.

"I tried to kill him, yesterday. I wanted to know where Zack was."

"Zack works at Jam Pony Messengers. He was there this afternoon," said Creeg, "Our 

beef is not with him."

"He left us behind!" said Gena, "Me and Lia. We tried to get to the fence, but couldn't."

"Zack is not who we want," said Trigs, "Some of the others, however, would be 

welcomed to out home."

"Jondy," said Igen.

"Syl," said Kiri.

"Krit," said Igen.

"Max," said Creeg.

"Max won't leave Seattle," said Trigs, "Zack tried."

"Boyfriend?" asked Brin.

"Yeah," said Trigs, "Dork in glasses. Reminds me of Tact Officer Morris's right hand 

man. Jesse, was that his name?"

"Yeah," said Creeg, "What a dork."

"He had the weirdest laugh!" said Lia.

"He snorted," laughed Kiri, "I think he did it just make us laugh."

"Look at us, reminising about Manticore," said Brin.

"Listen Brin, I'm sorry for what I did," said Trigs sheepishly.

"It's okay. I understand. It needed to be done."

"Great."

"Hey Trigs, can we sit on the balcony and talk for a moment, you and me?" asked Brin, "I 

need to ask you something serious."

"Okay," said Trigs, walking out onto the Balcony.

"I have two things. One, I want to talk to Max."

"All in good time Brin, all in good time."

"I know you see her everyday."

"So do I and it takes all my strenght not to attack her."

"Trigs."

"No Brin. She was the one Lyedecker squeezed for info on me, on what was done to me. 

I told her, and look what happened to me Brin. You know about my…condition."

"I do."

"So?"

"I understand."

"She made me what I am, a freak, a Nomolie."

"Don't say that Trigsie. You're nothing like that. I love you dearly."

"You. Just you."

"All those people do. All the X5's standing in there. Jondy still loved you. One time, 

when we got together, we held a memorial for you."

"Thanks."

"It was her idea. The other X5's love you Trigs. Why can't you accept that."

"Because of what I've become. I'm different."

"So what?"

"You know how sick I am Brin."

"Do you take your medication?"

"Yeah."

"Well then?"

"Still…I've got so much left to do…"

"What do you mean?"

"You think it's a coincidence I've gathered them all now?"

"Yeah."

"It's not. I have some things to do before my time ends."

"Time ends? Trigs what?"

"A later time Brin. I'll explain it in a while. Now, what's the other message?"

"Carn, you're X2 friend?"

"Yeah."

"He told me to give you this, and tell you he's is tired of waiting," said Brin, pulling a pair 

of Dog tags out of her pocket.

"His tags…"

"Is this some sort of symbol?"

"Yeah. In the older series, they weren't allowed to fraternize. In order to have a 'marrige' 

the guy would give his tags to his girl."

"He's asking you to marry him?"

"In short."

"Aww! Trigs."

"Damned Fool," she said, dropping the tags to the floor and walking back to her friends 

inside.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Back in Logan's apartment, Max sat happily on her couch eating popcorn with Jondy, 

watching the movie 'Come what may'. Zane was looking on behind them, while Zack sat gruffly 

on the side.

"That's so cute!" said Jondy, "All those friends agreeing to meet up after years."

"What do you think our siblings would have been if they had got out of Manticore?" 

asked Max, "I mean, the ones who've died, or who've gone insane."

"Gena would so have been a biker," said Zane, "She had tough girl written all over her 

face."

"And Lia, Lia would have been a wonderful Doctor," said Max, "She would have been a 

pediatrician."

"Hurst, Hurst would have been a hacker. He was better with computers than your 

boyfriend," said Jondy.

"What about Creeg?"

"Creeg would have been a DJ. He always loved when Trigsie used to sing," said Zack, 

cracking a smile for the first time in days. When he was with his siblings, he seemed to calm 

down a bit, and forget his Manticore past.

"Can I join?" asked Logan, sitting down next to Max.

"Sure," she said, taking his hand in hers.

"Can I ask a question about Manticore."

"Sure. Shoot," said Zane.

"Who's Trigs?"

"What?" asked Jondy, "How do you know about her?"

"Zack just said Trigs."

"No I didn't. I said Trigsie. Her name could have been Trig, or Trigsie, or something 

unrelated. How did you know it was Trigs."

"I guessed."

"You're a bad liar," said Max, looking away.

"She was our sister," said Jondy, "A great sister. She was younger than me, but older 

than Max. Sweet little thing. She kinda looked like Zack, but her hair was red, firey red. Even 

with our buzz cuts, it was obvious she had flames for hair."

"Jondy," said Zack, "Don't say anymore."

"Why Zack? She's dead, isn't she. I loved her, and lost her. I miss her Zack, like I miss 

Eva and Peeps."

"Don't talk about her," said Max, her inflection mimicing Zacks.

"You too Max?" asked Jondy.

"What's the matter with you?" asked Zane, "She was our sister."

"And Max feels responsible for what happened. She told Lyedecker that Trigs was being 

changed, and that's why Trigs was taken away," said a cocky voice from behind them. They 

turned around to See Renz, the X4 who took Brin. Zack jumped up, lunging for Renz, but Renz 

stepped aside and caught him.

"YOU!" shouted Zack.

"X4's have the speed advantage on X5's," Renz said, "And if you kill me, you'll never see 

Brin again."

"So?"

"And you'll never see Kiri or Igen."

"I'll find them."

"How about Hurst, or Creeg? How about Lia or Gena? You want to see them? I thought 

so. Let me speak without being attack!"

"They're dead," said Zane.

"No, they're not," said Renz, "They're hiding, like you. They have a leader."

"Who?" said Max.

"She doesn't want to see you guys, or me and Carn. She's being an idiot and we need 

your help."

"She?" said Max, "Who?"

"Trigs," said Renz, "Trigs is my partner. She has been for nine years. She's been out of 

Manticore since then, no thanks to you Mr. Walks right by her with the keys to her cell."

"Trigs?" said Max, "Zack said she was dead."

"Zack lied."

"Why?" asked Jondy.

"It doesn't matter now. Right now, I need to find her."

"And why would we help you?" asked Zack.

"You know what, I hate you X5 599. What you did to Trigsie…"

"Don't call her that."

"Why not? She lets me and Carn call her that."

"We called her Carn. We were her family."

"You're right, you were. Now she's got me for a brother, and Carn as her husband to be."

"And you need us why?"

"Because she's doing something stupidly heroic again."

"What?" asked Zane.

"She's sending her siblings to the tropics."

"So?"

"And she's stopped taking her medication."

"So?"

"If she doesn't start taking it again, she'll be dead within a week."

Authors Note: OHHH! The end is near for Trigs! Scary! Thanks to those who've reviewed. You guys rock. Those who like this story and haven't, why haven't you?

On another note, I'm writing Companion Pieces to this about the Other X5's, the ones Trigs worked with. Their called Trigs Kids. The first one is about Kiri. Read them and tell me whatcha think!


	9. A thought of Trigs

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The mind of the one

Trigs sat by her-self on top of the Space needle. She needed some space, a place where she could think, where her mind could understand what it was being put through. She wouldn't have to worry about being seen, or being found out. She could worry about the things in her life that mattered.

She was dying. She knew that, and had known it since she was fifteen. Chimera Syndrome, as Renfro had called it. Due to the fact that Renfro had messed with her genes, she was slowly dying. The medication had helped at first, but by the time Trigs rounded all her Siblings up; it was causing her pain. Trigs made the decision to stop taking the drugs completely just before she left Oklahoma. She decided she would rather die with dignity.

She had it all planned out. She would send her siblings to the tropics, and stay behind, and die. Manticore would find only her, and her siblings would be far away, out of the line of fire. She only wished she could have helped more of them. Zack, Max, Krit and Syl. Those people, but she knew she couldn't. Zack wouldn't listen to her. He never had listened to her.

Trigs looked down at her hands. They were shaking. She remembered in the book that it said that seizures were the first sign of the final stage of Chimera Syndrome. Hurst had found it for her. She told him she had a friend in Toronto with it. She lied to him. She lied to all of them. None of them knew she was dying. Carn didn't even know. Only Renz. Brin thought she had a mild case of Anemia. She had lied to Brin too.

Trigs pulled her knees up to her chest and stared out into the night sky. She wondered when she would die. She wondered if she would ever be in the high place again, if that night was the last time she would be able to climb the stairs and look at the stars.

She knew it wouldn't. She would go to the good place after and join her family. Tinga, Ben, Eva, Peeps, and Jack would all be waiting, and would welcome her with open arms. They would be together, and they would wait for the others. One day, all the X5's would be together and no one would yell at them, or make them get out of bed, and none of them would ever disappear.

"I've got to stop thinking like that," thought Trigs, "I'm a grown woman. I'm acting like a little kid."

Trigs stood up and stared out over the city. Lights blinked on and off like little fireflies in the distance. Trigs wondered which one Max was in. She wondered if Jondy was reading, or if she was talking to Zane. Trigs wanted to know if Zack had any leads where she was. Trigs shook her head, no. Zack had taught Trigs how to hide. Zack wouldn't be able to track her, not for a few more weeks, and in a few weeks, she would be dead.

Death was not something Trigs feared. Death was not something scary off in the distance. Death was what Trigs stared at in the mirror every morning. She was death, because she knew that there was a chance that Carn had the Syndrome too. She wanted to tell him, but she never could figure out how. She couldn't just walk up and say, 'hey, I've got an incurable disease, and you may have it, because we've been together.' She wished things were simple like that. If she had the guts to say it like that, Carn could get help. She knew that once she was dead, Renz would tell Carn. She only worried he wouldn't want to go on once she was gone.

Her relationship with the X2 had once been simply one of Convienience. She went into heat, and so did he. They kept each other from doing people off the street. For three years, Trigs and Carn lived like that, being together when needed. It left both empty, wanting more, craving each other's attention and Affection. It took a the first stage of Chimera Syndrome in the form of a heavy Seizure to knock some sense into them.

"It won't be," said Trigs, taking the dog tags from the pocket inside her long trench and turning them over. Carn had talked about wanting to have a family when it was all over. Trigs knew he would be a wonderful father. Carn was a great man.

"Too bad he got mixed up with someone like me," said Trigs, tossing the dog tags forward towards the edge of the space needle. She wondered then if she should just end it, rather than deal with goodbyes. She knew that Renz was going to tell Carn if he hadn't already, and Trigs wasn't ready to say goodbye to him. She would do anything to stay with him if he said the word, including returning to her mother. She would do anything to please him.

"Can't end it here. Ben would be mad," she said as she walked silently back towards the exit.

The dog tags shimmered once in the moonlight, begging to be picked up, and returned to the neck of some unknown soldier. They were lucky. Unlike Trigs, the worst that would happen to them is being melted down.

Sorry so Short. More later.


	10. Dealing with the Devil

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Deal with the Devil

"I want the X6's combing the city for her!" yelled Renfro, one week after Trigs sat atop the space needle.

"Ma'am," said one of the officers, "We found these on top of the space needle."

"I knew it," she said, holding the tags in her hand, "If you find her companions, do not kill them. They will lure her to us. I want her alive."

"Ma'am, she's a powerful X5. You said yourself that she is faster than anything we have."

"Yes and she's dying. How hard is it for you to catch a dying X5. I doubt she can stand on her own now."

"Yes Ma'am," said the Soldier.

"Ma'am," said a tall man next to Renfro, "I think I may have found a clue. There's record of a girl named Eva working at a place called Jam Pony. Eva was the name we had for X5-602. If it is her, she may have been using it."

"Thank you X5-573. You and X5 498 go get her."

"Ma'am, will she live if we find her?" asked his partner, a pretty X5 next to the first.

"Yes X5-498. She will if we find her," said Renfro, then she turned and yelled, "This girl is worth more than any of the other X5's. If you find them, you have permission to kill them if necessary. Just find me X5-631 NOW!"

"She's gone insane," said X5-573.

"I know," said X5-498, "But Corgen, she just wants to save Trigs."

"Then why is this the first time we've found out she was alive? Huh Molly? Why didn't she tell us?"

"Because she didn't know until Trigs confronted her during the escape. Then the blood tests on the smear in the office proved she suffered from Chimera Syndrome. Corgen, we have to find her. I want my sister."

"I know Molly. We'll bring her home."

*+*+*

"Anyone seen Eva?" called Normal through the crowd of People at Jam Pony.

"No!" yelled Cindy, "We ain't seen your Boo!"

"No, she's not here. She hasn't been her for a week. I don't know where she is!" said Normal into the phone, "No I don't know about her. Yes, she left her pill bottle with me. She said the drugs were to be kept by me to stop her from using them."

"Who's that?" asked Cindy; noticing Normal was getting all red and blotchy.

"That was her sister Molly. Seems Eva hasn't been home in a while, and the kids are worried. They want to know where Eva is."

"What her name?" asked Jondy.

"Molly," said Normal, then he turned to the door, "Hello and Welcome to Jam Pony."

"Shove it loser," said Carn, walking forward and grabbing Normal around the neck, "Where is my girl you asshole."

"Shit Carn," yelled Renz, who had been chilling with Max and Jondy.

"She's gone. I checked with Brin and Kiri. Seems about a week ago she split and told them that no matter what they were to head out to the place."

"Calm down!" yelled Renz, "She's not here, and she hasn't been for a week."

"Manticore is here," said Carn, "I just had an X6 on my ass. Do you know how those kids move?"

"I know," said Renz, "Now you're telling me that Trigsie's mother is here? In Seattle?"

"Looking for her!" said Carn; "I spied on them. Apparently they're looking for her and a dying X5."

"He doesn't know?" whispered Jondy to Max.

"No," said Zane, "Renz told me this guy would go medieval on anything that moved if he knew she was dying."

"Carn, we have to leave Seattle with the X5's. It's what Trigs wanted."

"No. Not without her. She's everything to me Renz. You know that. I need her, and she needs me."

"No she doesn't," said Zack, "She's an X5."

"And you left her behind Zack," said Carn, "I remember it well. You had the keys, and you wouldn't unlock her cage. You were afraid of me, and you let her suffer."

"I would not let Trigs suffer."

"And I love her more than you ever could. You think I would?"

"How would you know what she's like?"

"How would you?"

"She was my sister."

"She is the love of my life. You wouldn't know her if she walked through that door right now."

"Want to bet on that?" asked Zack, rising to the older man's challenge.

"Yes."

"We'll find her."

"How."

"She's short with auburn hair and blue eyes."

"She's tall and leggy," said Carn, "Real Beauty. Her hair isn't Auburn. It's red, fire red, like the fire in her soul you almost put out Zack. Do you know that she busted into Manticore to save you, even after you left her behind? Did you know that Zack?"

"No."

"She revealed herself to Krit and Syl, when she gave them Brin. They didn't tell you because they know better. They know she would just run, like she's done now. This is all your fault Zack."

"Really?"

"Yes! My angel is out there dealing with her mother, YOUR mother, and she may be trying to rescue a dying sibling. If you ask me, she's worth ten times what any of you are, especially you Zack."

"Calm down!" yelled Renz, punching Carn in the gut, hard.

"She's gone Renz."

"She's not gone. Trigs has done this before."

"Not like this. Not with Manticore this close."

"Red hair…" said Max, "You're not saying that…"

"She said something to me before she left," said Normal, "Eva did. You two know her as Trigs, right?"

"Yeah," said Carn.

"When all Hell breaks loose, I go the high place," said Normal, "It's what she told me. Told me to tell you if you ever got in a fight with any of these gooneys."

"The Space Needle," said Carn.

"Wait," said Renz, "We may be too late."

"Too late?" said Renz.

"Trigs isn't going to live much longer," said Jondy.

"What?"  
"She's suffering from Chimera Syndrome. She'll be dead within a few hours."

"No…"

"Carn," said Max, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"NO!" he screamed, "NO! YOU'RE LYING! SHE'S NOT DYING!"

"Carn," said Renz, "Please understand."

"Trigsie," he said, falling to his knees.

"Carn."

"The others?" he asked, "Kiri, Brin? Hurst, Creeg, Lia, Gena and Igen? What about them?"  
"Trigs put them on a plane to the tropics this morning," said Renz, "I saw to it. None of them know either. She planned to just slip away, but with Manticore so close!"

"Damn it all," said Carn, "Where's Deck?"

"Lyedecker left to find her. He thought she might have gone to New York. It's safer there."

"Damn it," sobbed Carn.

"If she's out there, we'll find her," said Zack.

*+*+*

"Of course she breaks her promise," said Trigs, crouching down in the staircase up to the top of the space needle. She was having trouble breathing. The last stage of Chimera was setting in, and she was on the run from Corgen and Molly. She dashed up a few more flights and into the large dome. She hid between two cushions, and prayed that her two siblings had come to their senses and given up. She would not return to Manticore if she had to kill herself first.

Molly and Corgen entered the room silently, keen ears listening for the sound of Trigs breathing. Trigs held it in, but knew that in her condition, she couldn't hold it as long as she would have wanted to. The two X5's made their signals, but Trigs read them like a book.

She's hiding. Circle Around. Close her in. Don't kill her.

It was the 'don't kill' her part that worried. They had to remind each other not to kill their baby sister. Trigs wondered if maybe the 'don't kill' gesture was a sign that they would go easy on you.

"Ah," she said, then realized what she had done.

"She's here," said Molly, rushing Trigs. Trigs stood up, and got gored in the stomach. She doubled over in pain, but cat leapt back to her feet, raising her fists.

"Can't you and your suck-ass Manticore buddies let me die in peace!" yelled Trigs, landing a solid kick in Corgen's face, sending her flying across the room.

"Please Trigs," said Molly, "You're delirious."

"You think so?"

"Renfro told us. It's a sign of Chimera."

"Did Renfro tell you what happened to Tinga?"

"She died as a result of Lyedecker."

"Bull. She nearly killed Tinga. She let someone poison Tinga. She didn't need Tinga really, just her body."

"You lie."

"I killed Tinga, to save her from the pain she was in. Do you remember when they used those tubes on us, Inserted them into us while we were asleep, and then when we woke up, they tested us. Do you remember how much they hurt?"

"Yes," said Molly, jumping back, away from Trigs.

"They did that to Tinga, only she was still awake when they put the tubes in."

"She's lying Molly!" called Corgen.

"Am I?" asked Trigs, "I never lied to you as a child, why would I now start?"

"Because you're delirious."

"No, YOU are if you think I'd let you just walk in and drag me back to Manticore. I don't even have a barcode anymore."

"How?" asked Molly.

"One of the first things Renfro did to me was get rid of it. She drew it on in permanent marker every day. Lyedecker never knew."

"Lyedecker is evil."

"He helped us Molly, made us what we are."

"He killed Eva."

"That he did."

"How can you forgive him?"

"Because I can. There are a lot of people I can't forgive, but he's not one of them."

"He killed Ben."

"No he didn't. Max did."

"Max?"

"Max snapped his neck."

"No way," said Corgen.

"I watched her. She killed Ben. Not Lyedecker. Ben made a choice, and Max helped him. He asked not to go back to Manticore, and I make the same request. Kill me, or let me go. You know that if you don't, I'll just jump off the needle.

"You wouldn't."

"Wanna bet?"

"No!" Molly shouted, "Trigs please!"

"It's not too late Molly," said Trigs, "I can make this all go away. I can make Manticore a thing of your past. I can free you, both of you."

"How?" she asked.

"No," said Corgen.

"Jace is free. She has a daughter. Her name is Max."

"Corgen," said Molly, "Let her."

"How?" asked Corgen.

"Does Manticore still issue those pens of Adrenaline?"

"Yeah," said Molly, "Give me them, and go to Jam Pony Messengers. You called there before. There's a man they call Normal. Tell him I love him, and that I'm sorry it had to be like this. Then tell him you need to contact Brin. She'll get you to the tropics with them. Small island, no government. Nothing you can't handle."

"Trigs," said Molly, "What are you going to do?"

"Go back to my mommy."

*+*+*

"So you give up?" asked Renfro, looking up at her daughter, standing shakily on the edge of a truck.

"I give up," she said, "I surrender. You win."

"You have an ulterior motive."

"You know me."

"What?"

"You say I'm worth more than any X5's?"

"Where are those two X5 I sent…"

"I got to them. Molly and Corgen are on their way out of the city as we speak. You leave them alone, I go with you."

"NO!" shouted a loud voice. Carn, dressed in his army togs, jumped down and smashed two X6's into each other.

"Carn, go back!" yelled Trigs.

"Kill him," said Renfro.

"NO!" yelled Trigs, jumping down off the van, and kicking Renfro. Renfro fought her, but Trigs was strong, taking out the needle, she held it to Renfro's head.

"What are you doing?" asked Renfro, choking under her daughter's power.

"I will kill you so help me my Lady," said Trigs, "You let him go, you hear? You can have me, but you will pretend you never saw him, or I'll make it so I'm unusable."

"Not possible."

"Wanna bet? I have liquid Adrenaline here in my hand, two needles of them. If I take them both, I'll have a huge seizure and die, and my nervous system will be shot. What good are my muscles if you don't know how the nerves control them mother."

"You little monster."

"Let him go."

"Why? He tortured you for two years."

"And I love him. You let him go."

"Fine," she said, "Now let me go X5-631."

"You ain't worth it," said Trigs, taking Renfro by the hips and driving her knee into Renfro's lower back. A sickening crack filled the air, and Renfro screamed. Trigs ran as fast as she could away, grabbing Carn's hand and running. Through the back Ally's, and the sectors, as far from Renfro as they could, until they reached the small Condo Trigs had bought for her siblings. Carn took her in there, guided her to the couch, and sat down in front of her.

"Why didn't you tell me Trigs? Didn't you think I could handle it?"

"No… Carn, please understand. I know myself, and that's why I didn't want to tell you."

"Because of me?"  
"Because I knew, and I know, that if you tell me to stay, I'd go running to my mother, and give it all up, everything we've worked for, if it could make you happy."

"No. Darling, I can deal with this. We can deal with this."

"Molly had Chimera. She left with my brother Corgen to join the others. She gave me these pills. They'll keep me alive for a few extra hours. Molly always kept them just in case. She figures I need them more than her."

"Trigs, you're not going to die."

"I am going to die Carn. I've been dying since I was born. We all have. No one really lives. It's just a wait for death. You just have a longer wait."

"Manticore can fix you."

"NO. I will not go back."

"But you would go back for Molly and Corgen."

"I had every intention of killing myself once I was in the truck. I was buying them some time."

"And Molly bought you some time," said Carn, looking at the pill bottle.

"Carn, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. I don't understand why you didn't tell me, but you were always smarter than me, Trigsie. You know me better than anyone," he said, leaning forward and kissing her gently.

"Please, stop Carn. I want to, but no, it would be too hard," said Trigs.

"Please. For me. This will be the last time we're together."

"What are you going to do next time you're in heat?"  
"I guess I can go to that safe house in Canada. I chained you to that wall and it held you for a week. I know mine only last a few days. I'll chain myself there for the days, and think about you a lot."

"Carn," said Trigs, "We're not safe here."

"We'll stay here a few more minutes, and then we'll go see your siblings. Max and Zack went crazy trying to track you down."

"I'll need to give Zack the heads up on where the others are."

"You don't think Renz and I can handle it?"

"I don't know," said Trigs, "Zack is my brother."

"I know," he said, watching as Trigs got up and walked to the window, staring out onto the crowded street below.

"I wish it could be different. If I could go back, I'd change things."

"You lie," said Carn.

"What?"

"If you could go back, you'd have all the X5's get out during the escape, and you'd destroy Manticore. You and I would never have met."

"No. Never. I would go back and make it so we got out and took the cure for Chimera with us."

"Well we can't."

"No. And there's someone neither of us will meet."

"Who?" asked Carn.

"Our child."  
"Trigs?"  
"I figure that the hormones of pregnacy are what triggered this onset of the final stages."

"We would have had a child?"

"Yes."

"what would you have named it?"

"Tinga, or Ben. Maybe Eva, or I always liked the name Jack."

"I think that I would have named it Jake, or Marie."

"You're siblings?"

"Yes."

"I wish I could make it better."

"You can't, and I'll deal. I won't kill myself over this. I swear it Trigs. I love you too much."

"Thank you."

"Come on, let's go see Logan," he said, taking her hand.

"We've got a few minutes," said Trigs, wrapping her arms around his neck one more time, and kissing him softly.

Authors note: One of the last chapters in this. Almost over ladies and Gents.


	11. Do Not go Gentle

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Rage

Zack got back to Logan's apartment first. He looked anxious, and ran in to tell Logan that he hadn't found Trigs and wanted to radio to the others. Looking out across the living room, he saw a small figure standing by the window, shaking like she was having a seizure. Zack ran across, expecting to see Max, but instead it was a face he didn't know. It was the face of an innocent child scared by years of toil, years of running, years of death.

Trigs looked up at Zack, and smiled. It was the same warm smile Zack had always looked forward too in the barracks. When Max had a seizure, Zack was always on one side of her, and Trigs was holding her hand in the other, smiling the smile that made everything better, then singing her beautiful songs.

Zack glowered at her. He knew how to do nothing else. She was not his ally. She was the enemy. She took the X5's away from him. She hid from him for years. She decided to show herself only because she was dying. It was not what he wanted.

But when Trigs slumped to the floor, shaking, all the hate and angry Zack had inside for her melted away. She wasn't X5 631, or anything else for that matter. She was Trigs, his little sister, and though she was a little brat, she was his sister, and she needed him to hold her.

Zack rushed over and grabbed his sister, stopping her from hitting her head. Holding her tightly, he moved her so her head was on his lap. He pushed the long red hair, matted form sweat, off her brow, and the hate melted off his own face.

"Zack? Is that you?" she asked, reaching out her own shaky hand up to him.

"Yeah Trigs. I'm here for you."

"Thank you Zack. You don't know how much this means to me."

"Why didn't you find me sooner. If you were dying…"

"My pride. You know me. I don't ask for help. I didn't tell Carn, let alone any of the X5's. Only Renz knew, and he wasn't supposed to tell."

"Good thing he did."

"I guess so. Zack, you need to know about her, about what she's done to me. She did this to me, and you could have it too."

"I know what she's done. She's killed my baby sister."

"More than that Zack."

"The baby sister I love with all my heart, because she and I share more than a bar code. We always looked alike Trigs. I always knew."

"Damn it Zack."

"All I can ask is if you forgive me? For all I've done."

"Yeah. I did a long time ago Zack. Can you forgive me?"

"You haven't done anything Trigsie. I did it all. I pushed you away. I let Ben die. I let Tinga die."

"You didn't do that. It's all Manticore Zack. All Manticore."

"Trigs…"

"I'm so scared Zack. I'm scared of dying. I don't want to be here. I want to go home, Zack. I want to go back to Manticore."

"No Trigs. I won't let you. I would not send my worst enemy back there."

"But Brin."

"Brin was different. You will just be experimented on. They'll let you live for a while and then kill you. Rather you die with dignity?"

"Yes."

"Good girl Trigs."

"Zack, don't let me go."

"I won't."

"Do you think I'll go to the good place?"

"Yes Trigs. You'll go there and you and Ben can sing until your lungs burst."

"Lungs don't burst there."

"I know. And then you can teach Eva to play the guitar. Renz said you have a talent."

"He flatters me."

"And then when you go to sleep, no one will wake you until you're good and ready."

"No. Peeps will want to go swimming."

"And then you Jack can eat all you want for breakfast."

"And then I'll write some poetry. I love poetry."

"I knew you would Trigs."

"Will you come with me?"

"One day I'll be there baby sister. You and me, we'll stay up longer than Max and Jondy and talk about our lives. There's so much of yours I missed."

"Oh Zack. This reminds me of a poem I once heard."

"What?"

"By Dylan Thomas. It went something like, Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight, Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay. Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

"Trigs no. Hold on a little more. Max is coming. So are Jondy and Zane. You need to talk to them."

" And you, my father, there on the sad height."

"No Trigs. Hold on."

"Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray."

"Blue Lady save her soul!" Zack yelled Franticly.

"Do not go gentle into that good night," she said, her head slumping to one side.

Max and Jondy burst into the room flanked by Zane, Renz and Carn.

"No!" yelled Jondy, "NO! Trigs no! Please oh god wake up!"

"She's gone," said Carn, his eyes welling up with tears.

"Baby sister," said Zane, "No…"

"Give me the body," said Renz, "She had a request. One last one, for Carn and me. Please Zack. Hold a funeral, but she wanted her body up in the mountains that she loved. Carn and I will take her."

"Someone should call Brin," said Carn, "She'll want to know."

"Baby sister," said Jondy.

"Oh hell," said Max, "I'll tell Normal."


	12. Rage, Rage against the Dying Light

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

He stood alone on top of Max's building, a solid figure silhouetted against the starry backdrop. Carn and Renz had left with Trigs the moment Renz felt able to drive. His hands had been shaking so badly that it took him a while. He and Carn loaded her limp body into the hummer they drove, and rode off into the sunset.

He himself had attacked the Manticore people still stationed in the area. He led Max, Jondy and Zane to attack the people, and take what was theirs. They took the dog tags that Renfro was having made for trigs. He wanted to smash Renfro's face in, but he couldn't bring himself to. Having his sister die in his arms shook him up. He had instilled the pride in her, and she lived with it. It was his fault she died.

But he wondered what Renz and Carn were doing with her. He doubted the mountains. If anything, they would take her to Manticore and let them fiddle with her body, trying to imitate that amazingness that was his little sister. He would have stopped them, but he didn't have the heart.

He wondered if Trigs was in the good place. She had lived a long life, and fought against the insurmountable odds stacked against her. He wished he could have been there for her like he was for the others. He wished her could turn back time and tell her that he never meant to leave her, and that he wanted her by his side, his friend, his sister. He hoped she was in the good place. He hoped she was laughing at Jack's clumsy-ness with Ben and Tinga and Eva and Peeps.

He wondered if she would have to fight anymore. She was strong, his sister, but the world had taken it's toll on her. She was a hardened stone when she saw him the first time. Living in the dungeon with the X5 had done nothing to her. She seemed fine. He wished he had control like that. The only time he saw her cry, was with one of her dying breaths. She wasn't afraid of dying, just the dying of the light that was her life.

He remembered saying the poem that was her last words to her when she was a child. He had read it on the wall of one of the officers desks. When she was shot, Zack had recited the words to the child, delirious with fever from infection. He didn't think anything of it then, but now, at the time he stood alone on top of the apartment, he realized how much of an effect he had on his sister.

She wasn't perfect, she wasn't by a long shot. She was just loved for who she was. He only wished that Max and Jondy could have said goodbye to her too, that their goodbyes to her would have changed them the way it changed him. It took five minutes to change his life.

"Rage, Rage against the dying of the light Trigs," said Zack, looking at her dog tags before putting them around his neck, "You're at peace."


	13. Epilogue

Epilogue

Epilogue

"Is she still alive?" asked Renfro.

"Yes," said the surgeon, "We fixed her. She'll live. She'll be back to normal in no time."

"And the child?"  
"Alive and well."

"Good. See to it she is placed in a room under restraints, and make sure her companions are there too. They are to have their barcodes removed, and you are not to make it known who they are. They are simply Renz and Carn, the new officers who will Aid Trigs in her training of the X-10's."

"The X-10's have matured as you expected," he said, "They will be ready to hunt down the X5 series soon."

"Good. With Trigs training them, I will bring home our X5's, and bring honor back to Manticore," said Renfro, looking in on her daughter.

"Rage, rage against the dying of the light," whispered Trigs, half-awake and half-dreaming.


End file.
